The search continues for a missing toddler near the Skagit River.
A 2-year-old boy was reported missing around 4 p.m. Thursday in the 21000 block of Mann Road in Conway. Police say the toddler was playing in a toy electric car when he apparently rode it into the river and was washed away. The toy car was later found about half-a-mile down the river.
The child has been identified as Star Austin Rogers-White, but goes by Austin.
His mother had reportedly stopped to talk to a neighbor and when she turned around, Austin was gone. The family lives on the banks of the Skagit River near Conway.
The sheriff's office launched a search on land and water Thursday, aided by a drone with thermal imaging and helicopter from Naval Air Station Whidbey. The sheriff's marine unit was training in the area and quickly joined the search. Crews searched in the dark for about six hours Thursday night.
A Customs and Border Patrol helicopter scanned the river all day Friday. Dive teams searched below the murky water's surface, and Skagit County deputies patrolled the river in boats.
Skagit County Chief of Patrol Chad Clark said there is little hope the boy will be found alive.
"It’s hard when you search for anybody, but especially a 2-year-old boy. We all have kids. It’s very hard,” said Clark. “What we’re hoping for is a recovery mission, so we do find the boy for the family."
Authorities plan to resume a scaled-down search Saturday morning. They do not suspect foul play.
