SHAWANO, WI- The extensive emergency response Friday evening near the bridge over the Wolf River in Shawano has concluded with authorities determining that no child fell into the water, despite initial reports that prompted a large-scale search.
Shawano Police Chief Mike Musolff said the incident began after a caller reported witnessing what they believed was a 10-year-old child fall from the bridge into the river. That report triggered an immediate response involving multiple agencies, including the Shawano Police Department, Shawano County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Shawano Area Fire Department.
Emergency crews searched the area for several hours.
As the investigation continued, officers learned new information through a social media post indicating the person seen entering the water may have actually been an adult who intentionally jumped from the bridge.
“One of our officers was able to contact the person who had spoken with the individual before he entered the water,” Musolff said. “Based on that conversation and the timeline, we believe it was the same person. It does not appear that a child fell off the bridge.”
Musolff said no children were reported missing over the weekend, further supporting investigators’ conclusion that the initial report was a misunderstanding rather than an actual water rescue.
“We believe this was simply a misunderstanding,” Musolff said. “The person who called it in genuinely believed they saw a young child fall into the water. Sometimes perception isn’t always accurate, and people can appear younger than they actually are.”
Authorities emphasized that the caller did the right thing by reporting what they believed was an emergency.
“The complainant had no intent to create a false report,” Musolff said. “They truly believed someone was in danger, and we’d much rather have people call than ignore something they think could be an emergency.”
Although the search ultimately found no victim, Musolff praised the coordinated response from local, county and state agencies.
“I want to thank all of the agencies that assisted,” he said. “The community should feel reassured knowing that so many resources can be mobilized so quickly when there is a potential emergency. Everyone involved did everything they could to make sure someone wasn’t in need of rescue.”
Musolff also encouraged anyone who witnesses a possible emergency to remain at the scene after calling 911 whenever it is safe to do so.
“If you witness something like this, please stay on scene if you can,” he said. “Being able to talk with the reporting party helps first responders determine the last known location, ask important questions and focus their search efforts.”
Search efforts were suspended Friday night after crews thoroughly searched the area and found no evidence that anyone remained in the water.
Investigators now believe an adult voluntarily jumped from the bridge into the river and safely made it out of the water.
Musolff also reminded the public that jumping from the bridge is dangerous and discouraged.
“It’s not safe to jump off that bridge,” he said. “You don’t know what’s under the water.”
He said it is also illegal.
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