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SALT LAKE CITY -- It's day three in the search for the body of 8-year-old Trejon Brown, who slipped and fell in a canal near California Avenue and Redwood Road after attempting to cross on a pipe Saturday.
Search and rescue teams are moving down the canal taking sonar images of the floor, one section at a time. So far there is no sign of the boy.
The search started back up Monday morning around 8:20, when search and rescue teams launched the first boat onto the water. At that time, Trejon's family stood along the bank of the canal hoping for some sort of closure on the situation.
His mother, Star Brown, said, "I'm hoping that he will float up, and when he does, I brought his favorite blanket, and I'm going to wrap him in it, and I'm going to hold him. I'm just going to hold him."
Star has been going to the canal several times a day since her son fell into the water on Saturday. She says she's been hoping for any sign that he might be alive, but says she understands that he's not and now she must accept that.
"I really don't want to accept it. I'm not going to lie, I don't want to accept it, but I have to. I'm just going to be strong, that's the only thing I can do. I can't bring him back, so I'm just going to be strong."
Star says she doesn't know why Trejon would cross the canal using the pipe. She says he's never done it before. In fact, she says he's the type of kid who would yell at his brothers and sisters if they tried anything like that.
Trejon is the third of seven children in the Brown family. His other brothers and sisters were there this morning watching the search and rescue, as well. Star says all the children are devastated by the situation.
Divers have found at least two shoes in the canal but neither belonged to Trejon.
Police say the water is about 18 feet deep and running twice the normal volume due to recent rain.
Story compiled with information from Shara Park and Marc Giauque
