An 11-year-old girl who disappeared after falling into the River Thames near Woolwich on Monday has been named.
Kaliyah Coa was last seen in the water with a friend close to Barge House Causeway, near London City Airport, in South East London.
Officers were called to reports that the girl had entered the river at about 1.15pm on Monday.
The child had been playing near the water with a young boy and girl, according to local residents.
A relative told The Sun that Kaliyah had only turned 11 last week, describing her as a "beautiful bubbly girl".
Emergency services initially launched a "large-scale response" to the incident, involving London Ambulance Service, London Fire Brigade and the RNLI.
The search was later scaled down and handed over to the police.
Chief Superintendent Dan Card, local policing commander for north east London, said:
“Our specialist officers are supporting Kaliyah’s family through this deeply upsetting time and our thoughts go out to all those impacted by what has happened.
“We are committed to finding Kaliyah and are working with partners to conduct a thorough search over a wide area – utilising drone technology and boats.
“I’d like to thank the members of public, our first responding officers, and colleagues from other emergency services, as they responded rapidly to carry out a large-scale search during a highly pressurised and distressing time.
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“Equally we appreciate this has affected the wider community who have been extremely supportive. You will see extra officers in the area during the coming days – if you have any concerns then please speak to them.”
The girl had entered the water from Barge House Causeway, which is a concrete slope that goes directly into the River Thames and is used to transport boats.
Kerry Benadjaoud, 62, who lives on a road leading to the causeway, described how the incident unfolded.
"My neighbour next door, she was outside doing her garden and there was two little kids running, and they said 'my friend's in the water'," she said.
Benadjaoud went to retrieve a nearby life ring after being alerted.
Shaleen Rajaendram, 59, another local resident, recalled: "I heard upstairs a guy was screaming 'wait there, wait, the police is coming'."
She later spoke to the children who told her: "One of my friends was playing in the water, one of my friends has gone into water and she's gone underneath and we can't find her."
A young boy who had been with Kaliyah told Benadjaoud: "I tried to hold her hand but it slipped."
Benadjaoud found shoes, a sock, a coat and a phone near the river, which she handed to police.
"Apparently she was paddling, so her socks and shoes were off, her coat, then she must have slipped and gone down," she said.
Police confirmed that Kaliyah's next of kin have been made aware of the incident.
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Kaliyah Coa was last seen in the water with a friend close to Barge House Causeway, near London City Airport, in South East London.
Officers were called to reports that the girl had entered the river at about 1.15pm on Monday.
The child had been playing near the water with a young boy and girl, according to local residents.
A relative told The Sun that Kaliyah had only turned 11 last week, describing her as a "beautiful bubbly girl".
Emergency services initially launched a "large-scale response" to the incident, involving London Ambulance Service, London Fire Brigade and the RNLI.
The search was later scaled down and handed over to the police.
Chief Superintendent Dan Card, local policing commander for north east London, said:
“Our specialist officers are supporting Kaliyah’s family through this deeply upsetting time and our thoughts go out to all those impacted by what has happened.
“We are committed to finding Kaliyah and are working with partners to conduct a thorough search over a wide area – utilising drone technology and boats.
“I’d like to thank the members of public, our first responding officers, and colleagues from other emergency services, as they responded rapidly to carry out a large-scale search during a highly pressurised and distressing time.
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“Equally we appreciate this has affected the wider community who have been extremely supportive. You will see extra officers in the area during the coming days – if you have any concerns then please speak to them.”
The girl had entered the water from Barge House Causeway, which is a concrete slope that goes directly into the River Thames and is used to transport boats.
Kerry Benadjaoud, 62, who lives on a road leading to the causeway, described how the incident unfolded.
"My neighbour next door, she was outside doing her garden and there was two little kids running, and they said 'my friend's in the water'," she said.
Benadjaoud went to retrieve a nearby life ring after being alerted.
Shaleen Rajaendram, 59, another local resident, recalled: "I heard upstairs a guy was screaming 'wait there, wait, the police is coming'."
She later spoke to the children who told her: "One of my friends was playing in the water, one of my friends has gone into water and she's gone underneath and we can't find her."
A young boy who had been with Kaliyah told Benadjaoud: "I tried to hold her hand but it slipped."
Benadjaoud found shoes, a sock, a coat and a phone near the river, which she handed to police.
"Apparently she was paddling, so her socks and shoes were off, her coat, then she must have slipped and gone down," she said.
Police confirmed that Kaliyah's next of kin have been made aware of the incident.
Find Out More...