Search ‘not over’ for missing 5-year-old in Richland County

Richland County officials said the search for the missing 5-year-old who reportedly fell into the Wisconsin River two weeks ago “is not over.”

Angela Girton was reported missing in the Wisconsin River near Gotham on April 6.

Crews searched a 50-yard stretch of the river Tuesday where sonar imaging and multiple cadaver dog teams indicated her body was, but her body was not found, officials said.

Richland County Emergency Management Director Darin Gudgeon said in the release “the search is not over,” and they will resume the search in a few days.

“Really we went into it thinking we were going to be able to find her and return her to her family, and right now we’re regrouping and coming up with plan B. But we were really, really — nothing was set 100 percent — but we felt really confident that based on all the data that we had — the structures, the dogs, the sonar, everything — that we would find her, and we didn’t find her today,” Gudgeon said.

According to the release, local officials will start coordinating efforts with Bruce’s Legacy to collect additional sonar images and request further assistance from cadaver dog teams.

The search was called off last week due to low visibility, high water and strong currents on the Wisconsin River.

Gudgeon said there is no estimate of whether or not the search will ever be called off, but they are planning to ramp up search efforts in the next couple of days.