Parents desperate to find their 5-year-old son's body to give him proper burial

Thursday, May 3, 2018
Parents of 5-year-old boy want closure and proper burial
The parents of 5-year-old Valerio McFarland want closure and proper burial for him, after being swept away by a fast-moving river current.

AUBURN, Maine -- The parents of a 5-year-old boy from Auburn, Maine are going through a heart-wrenching ordeal, asking for help to find their son's body.

Valerio McFarland fell into a fast-moving river last week, while playing with his 10-year-old brother Maxim. The older brother jumped in to save him. A strong current pulled the brothers down river.

A firefighter pulled the older brother out of the water, but they were not able to rescue his little brother.

So far, his body has not been spotted. Meanwhile, Maxim McFarland is hospitalized in fair condition.

As Valerio's parents ask for help to find his body, his mother tells WGME-TV, "He was a wonderful child, brilliant 5-year-old. Smart, kind, loving and we want to just be able to recover him so that we can give him a proper burial."