Madusu is still missing SEE MORE PICTURES

The search for a 9-year-old girl playfully pushed into the Schuylkill Tuesday night was resumed this morning by the Coast Guard and the Philadelphia Police Marine Unit.

Madusu Konneh of Southwest Philadelphia was pushed into the river around 7:30 p.m. by a boy, who apparently did it as a joke, and crews, including the Fire Department, searched until late last night.

Konneh and the boy were with six other Liberian immigrant children playing at a boat ramp near the Hess refinery in Southwest Philadelphia.

Friends and family gathered at the Konneh house today, awaiting news about the search, which continued this afternoon. "We'll have a boat. We'll have divers. We'll be doing underwater sonar searches," Lt. Andrew Napoli said shortly after 6:30 this morning.

A device with a yellow float was relaying images to officers on the riverbank during the first couple of hours of the search.

By 10:30 a.m., police apparently switched to using dragging equipment. One tricky part was estimating where to look. "It really depends on what the currents were doing last night," he said. "We'll expand the search as needed."

At first, this morning, the Coast Guard boat stayed within view of 56th Street, near Bartram's Park, where the incident happened.

Hopes are not high to find the girl alive. Often, by the time rescuers are notified, it's too late. "It only takes a couple minutes or seconds for a person to drown," he said.

The night the incident happened, FELMAUSA News learned that the children who were with the late Madusu had to run two miles to the nearest highway to flag down a police car. Lt. John Walker of Southwest Detectives also confirmed this information when he spoke to reporters.

After the girl screamed that she could not swim, two other girls, one then the other, tried to reach her, and briefly got hold of the floating girl, but lost their grips, Walker said. "She floats out into the center of the river" and disappeared, he said.

Such tragedies happen too often, Napoli said. "Kids play around the river not realizing how dangerous it can be. ... They need to stay away from the river, no matter how calm it looks. Currents are very dangerous."

Sister Mawata Trawallay prays that her daughter is recovered Related story: MISSING AT SEA: 9-yr Old Madusu Is Feared Dead

FELMAUSA President-Elect, Other Community Leaders console bereaved family as search for the little girl continues.

Meanwhile, community leaders including FELMAUSA President-Elect Mohammed Dukuly have expressed deepest condolences for the loss of Madusu. In his two phone calls to Mawata and her husband, President-Elect Dukuly said he introduced himself and expressed deepest concern about the tragic incident.

He also counseled them to remain steadfast, hopeful and resolute about Almighty Allah’s decision. The FELMAUSA incoming leader is expected to visit with the distressed family in Philadelphia this weekend.

Also visiting the bereaved family were ULAA National President Anthony Kesselly and Liberian Association of Pennsylvania President Shiwoh Kamara. According to a news released by Francis Duwana, the two leaders expressed deepest condolences and called on the community to support to the family in their time of bereavement.

The LAP President J. Shiwoh Kamara who rushed to the family home at 6062 Chester Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia was led to the incident site right at the river bank. At the site President Kamara comforted the victim child’s weeping mother, Ms. Mawata Trawally. 

Many other relatives and friends had camped at the river bank anxiously awaiting any news from the Police Recovery Boat that slowly sailed up and down the scene searching.

Also visiting the scene along with the LAP President was ULAA National President Anthony V. Kesselly, who told the family that he was there both as a Philadelphia Liberian community member and in a supportive role to President Kamara.

Police Lieutenant John Walker who is handling the incident said this was a very sad incident, indicating that he has not yet suspected any foulplay in the disappearance of little Madusu.

The child’s mother explained to the Liberian community leaders that she was at work at around 8:00 p.m. Tuesday (August 18) when she received a call about the incident. She said her daughter, the 12-year old sister Mafata Konneh, and a group of friends had made their way to the Schuylkill River, apparently as a respite away from the scorching heat. She said the child’s father died in Africa some time ago. 

In Liberia, she said, the family lived in Zorzor, Lofa County, where the children’s father worked with a logging company Altico.