The body of 2-year-old Emma Sweet, who had gone missing, has been tragically recovered from a Southern Indiana river following a search effort initiated on Saturday.
The operation began after Emma’s father, Jeremy Sweet, was rescued from his partially submerged truck and hospitalized with hypothermia. He provided conflicting accounts of what had transpired regarding Emma’s whereabouts.
Divers scoured the river on Saturday in search of any signs of the toddler after her coat was discovered about a mile downstream from the truck. Simultaneously, volunteers including firefighters and police officers conducted a ground search.
Emma’s mother and uncle also participated in the search efforts on Saturday, acknowledging the likelihood of a recovery mission. Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers stated, “I think they know it’s going to be more of recovering a body. I think they understand that.”
Tragically, the Bartholomew County Water Rescue and Recovery Team, in collaboration with other water rescue agencies, located Emma’s body in the river approximately three miles away from where her father’s van had entered the water.
Sheriff Myers praised the exceptional cooperation and teamwork exhibited in the investigation, stating, “I have never in my 30 years in law enforcement seen such cooperation and teamwork in an investigation. I had no doubt that the men and women searching for Emma would find her.”
Expressing his condolences for Emma’s family, he added, “I pray the Lord to comfort them during this difficult time. I again want to praise the first responders and all of those who came out to help search for Emma.”
Sheriff Myers also disclosed that investigators had only managed to have brief conversations with Emma’s father, Jeremy Sweet, who was in a frail state. Sweet expressed uncertainty about why his truck had ended up in the river after driving off a 15-foot embankment.