The Associated Press
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Authorities say a teenager has drowned in the Niagara River in Buffalo while trying to save his 7-year-old sister after she slipped into the water.
Local media outlets report that the 17-year-old boy jumped into the river Monday afternoon as his younger sister was being carried away by the swift current off an island in the river.
The teen managed to get the girl to shore, where two older sisters were standing, but he was swept downriver. The 13-year-old sister jumped into the water to help her brother, but she also struggled against the current.
That’s when fisherman Leonard Stevens jumped into the water. He rescued the 13-year-old but the boy disappeared under the surface. Police divers found his body about 45 minutes later.
Police haven’t released his name.