CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — The recovery effort for a father who went missing on the Cuyahoga River in Cuyahoga Falls on Saturday has entered its third day.
Officials held a press conference Monday morning to provide an update on the search.
Patrick Cross, 27, was last seen attempting to save his 5-year-old son Braxton Cross from the water when they both went under.
Braxton's body was found on Sunday morning.
The recovery effort
On Monday, there were more than 50 crews searching for Cross, including five boats and multiple drones.
According to firefighter Dan Pittman, river levels were near eight feet on Sunday and a little more than four feet on Monday.
Water levels dropping should help with search efforts, Pittman said.
What happened
Bryan Moore, Patrick's brother-in-law, said Cross was an amazing dad with a heart of gold.
The family was tubing on three tubes that were connected when the incident happened. Tubing was something they frequently did together, family members said.
The family said the water was calm for a long time, but once they got near a bridge, the water got very rough and they flipped over. That's when family members say Cross gave up his life to save his family. He was able to get his wife and 4-year-old son out of the water.
First responders were called to the river around 6:47 p.m. on Saturday.
Upon arrival, fire and rescue personnel initiated a search operation, deploying both watercraft and ground personnel to assess the scene and locate anyone in distress, the city said.
On Sunday, 5-year-old Braxton's body was found just before 9:30 a.m. and pronounced dead at the scene:
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The fire department strongly urged the public to avoid the Gorge Metro Park and the surrounding river areas due to extremely hazardous water conditions.
Residents are asked to avoid the Cuyahoga River between Broad Boulevard and Gorge Metro Park, as well as the area of Front Street between E. Cuyahoga Falls Avenue and Hillcrest Drive, due to the search.
