Photo from WHDH-TV news footage

LOWELL — The search for a missing boy last seen in the Merrimack River Saturday was suspended earlier Sunday, after divers, boats, drone, and sonar had unsuccessfully combed the river for hours, according to Lowell Police Superintendent Greg Hudon.

Hudon tells InsideLowell the Lowell Fire Department, State Police Dive Team, Environmental Police and Lowell Police all met this morning and conducted several hours of additional searching, but were unsuccessful in locating the boy. The search was then suspended.

The boy’s family was on the scene and made aware of the decision.

On Saturday, April 19, at approximately 5:44 p.m., the Lowell Police and Fire Departments were notified by 911 call that a 4-year-old boy was in the water by the Western Canal in the area of 300 Arcand Drive and the Merrimack River.

Photo from WHDH-TV news footage

Preliminary indications are that the boy was quickly pulled by the current into the Merrimack River.

Lowell Police and Fire units responded immediately. The search for the boy involved the Lowell Police Drone Unit, Lowell Fire Department boats and the Lowell Fire Department Dive Team, the Massachusetts State Police Airwing, Dive Team, and other units, UMass Lowell Police, and Environmental Police.

Firefighters in Dracut, Methuen and Lawrence have also searched the river downstream.

An investigation into how the boy ended up in the water remains ongoing.