A three-year-old boy has tragically drowned after falling off a cliff into a New York river, with his heartbroken family suspecting he may have been chasing a ball in his final moments.
Zaire Alberick, 3, was found in the seven-mile Mamaroneck River that runs through Westchester County on Thursday afternoon, shortly after his family had begun frantically searching for his whereabouts.
The horrific discovery came after the toddler and his mother, Derly Dorval, had recently returned to the Village of Mamaroneck to ‘start a new life’ for themselves, according to the family.
‘He was three,’ Denise Barnes, Zaire’s aunt, told CBS News. ‘He was just a beautiful little boy.’
Early Thursday afternoon, Zaire, along with the family dog, wandered two blocks from his home near North Barry Avenue and First Street, prompting a frantic search by the little boy’s grandfather and surrounding neighbors.
Despite the family’s extensive search efforts, they reported Zaire missing around 2.15pm after they were unable to locate him.
Village of Mamaroneck police officers arrived and searched for the toddler for about 20 minutes before tragically discovering his body in the Mamaroneck River, right near the Hillside Avenue Bridge.
EMS crews pronounced the three-year-old dead at the scene upon their arrival.
Zaire Alberick, 3, of Mamaroneck, New York, tragically drowned after falling off a cliff into the seven-mile Mamaroneck River on Thursday afternoon
Authorities said that the toddler had fallen off a small cliff, plummeted 10 feet into the waters below, drowned and was carried downstream near the Hillside Avenue Bridge, where he was later discovered
The mourning family, including Zaire’s aunt Denise Barnes (pictured), believe that his death could have been easily prevented if there had been a protective barrier alongside the cliff’s edge, as they believe he was chasing a ball in his final moments
Authorities said that the toddler had fallen off a small cliff, plummeted 10 feet into the waters below, drowned and was carried downstream to the area where he was later found, The New York Post reported.
The mourning family believe that Zaire’s horrendous ending could have easily been prevented if there had been a protective barrier alongside the cliff’s edge, as they believe he was chasing a ball in his final moments.
‘When he went to go look at it, there was a ball in there, and he loved balls,’ Barnes told CBS. ‘So we think, perhaps, he wanted to retrieve the ball.
‘The house is right there,’ she added. ‘He walked right into the river. The fact that there is no fence is horrific.’
Zaire’s death hit close to home for both friends and strangers in the community, as they held hands in support of the grieving family at the very spot where the toddler fell to his death.
‘There’s no words,’ Emily Myers, a fellow parent, told CBS. ‘It’s just a feeling that we are all here.’
‘At times like this, that’s what you need,’ Ashley Mauriello, another parent, told the outlet. ‘You need community.’
Zaire’s tragic ending left parents in the community reeling over the ‘what if’s’ as they thought about their own children at home, realizing how life can dramatically change within just seconds.
Early Thursday afternoon, Zaire, along with the family dog, wandered two blocks from his home near North Barry Avenue and First Street, prompting a frantic search by the little boy’s grandfather and surrounding neighbors
Zaire’s death hit close to home for both friends and strangers in the community, as they held hands in support of the grieving family at the very spot where the toddler fell to his death
‘It can happen,’ Mauriello added. ‘I have a little one that’s very curious. I can’t even imagine, truly.’
Myers agreed, adding: ‘We both have children who are three, so we just think it could be any one of us.’
The family organized a candlelight vigil in Zaire’s memory on Sunday evening, right at the bridge where his body was found just days ago.
‘Let’s light the night with prayer, memories and love as we honor and remember a life lost too soon,’ the flier read.
A GoFundMe page was created by Barnes, which asks for ‘prayers and support for this young family as they plan a funeral for their beloved three-year-old son.’
‘Zaire and his mother, Derly Dorval, recently moved back to Mamaroneck to start a new life. She was staying with family until she got back on her feet,’ Barnes wrote.
‘She just started a new job at Glenn Island Nursing Home in New Rochelle as a CNA and was working towards getting an apartment for her and her son,’ she continued.
‘Both she and Zaire’s father, Zanetti Alberick, are devastated. Derly is currently hospitalized due to her grief of losing her only son.’
The fundraiser has raised more than $19,500 as of Sunday evening.
