Rescuers searching for three young children who were reportedly thrown into San Francisco Bay last night have recovered one body.
The child's body was found about four hours after a witness reported seeing a woman drop the children into the bay near Pier 7, said Jonathan Guerra of the U.S. Coast Guard. The identity of the body was not immediately able to be confirmed.
The search began at about 5:30 p.m. when the unidentified man called 911 to report seeing the woman drop the children into the chilly water near a popular waterfront stretch, said San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White.
Authorities were on the scene within four minutes to begin the search, Hayes-White said.
The children were believed to be under 10 years old, Police Chief Heather Fong said.
A woman was being detained and questioned by police, but authorities were not releasing her identity, police spokeswoman Maria Oropeza said.
While rescuers searched for the children, an empty stroller was visible on the pier. Rescuers used flashlights to search under the pier. Larger Coast Guard and San Francisco police boats were searching the water with high-powered flashlights.
Mayor Gavin Newsom came to the scene to get briefed by authorities and would only tell reporters, "I'm sick to my stomach," before leaving.
The incident happened in the Embarcadero area, which draws tourists to the historic Ferry Building within view of Coit Tower and the landmark Transamerica pyramid. The fishing pier offers views of San Francisco, the Bay Bridge, ships in the bay, as well as Treasure Islands.
The wooden pier, which extends several hundred feet into water that is 35-feet deep. The pier is lined with a wrought-iron fence and was recently refurbished after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.