One day after a 10-year-old girl went missing in the water at a beach campground in St. Mary’s County, search crews recovered her body close to where she was last seen.
The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office says Genesi Elizabeth Sosa-Bonilla was one of three people pulled out by the current into the Potomac River. Just after 1 p.m. Sunday, July 17, sheriff’s deputies, the Maryland Natural Resources Police, local fire and rescue companies, and the Coast Guard all responded to Camp Merryeland, a resort campground with cottages in Piney Point, Southern Maryland.
Three swimmers were in distress—two 10-year-old girls, who the Coast Guard reported to be family members, and an adult male. All three had been swept away by the current. The man made it safely to shore and one of the two girls was rescued by good Samaritans nearby.
There was no sign of Sosa-Bonilla, however. The Coast Guard said she was last seen wearing a white shirt and sweatpants. A large-scale search was launched that included Maryland State Police, Coast Guard, and Virginia Airborne Search & Rescue helicopters, the Charles County Fire Department Dive Team, Coast Guard boat crews, and drones from the county sheriff’s office. The sheriff’s office and the Coast Guard remained on scene through the night to continue the search.
Search crews resumed their mission Monday morning and unfortunately, they did recover the girl’s body in the water. The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office released a statement thanking all agencies and team members involved in the search and recovery effort.
-Meg Walburn Viviano
