Report of baby thrown into river was a hoax: Police

An earlier report of a baby being tossed into the Merrimack River in Haverhill is now thought to have been a hoax.

After interviews with the two women who allegedly reported the incident and a review of surveillance footage, State Police have reported that the incident did not occur, the Boston Herald stated.

“The story wasn’t credible,” Haverhill Fire Chief Jack Parow was quoted in the Herald.

The women’s original report described a man throwing a baby off the Comeau Bridge before 8:30 p.m. Thursday, WCVB stated. Authorities then spent several hours searching the river near the bridge with help from rescue crews from New Hampshire and the Massachusetts State Police air wing.

After police said they found inconsistencies with the women’s story, the search was called off around 10 p.m., according to the Herald.

Haverhill police said to WCVB that there would be charges filed for misleading police.