Authorities say the body of 4-year-old boy from New Hampshire was found Monday on a North Carolina beach after the child was swept away while walking along the shore with his parents last week.

Kitty Hawk Police Chief Joel Johnson said the remains of Wesley Belisle were found around 7:40 a.m. on Carova Beach in Currituck County, North Carolina.

“Wesley’s family has been notified and are making arrangements for him to be transported back to New Hampshire,” Johnson said on Facebook. “We hope that the outpouring of compassion and offers of support, thoughts and prayers to the Belisle family from people all over the world can bring them some amount of solace in this time of tremendous grief.”


The 4-year-old had been missing since he was dragged away by the current after he and his mother were knocked over by a wave Wednesday afternoon on a beach in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. By Thursday morning, search and rescue efforts were suspended to focus on recovery.

The New Hampshire Union Leader reports the boy and his family were visiting the area from Manchester, New Hampshire.

According to the Outer Banks Voice, about 75 people attended a memorial service for the boy in Kitty Hawk on Sunday. A statement from the family was read at the service on the beach, and attendees were asked to wear the boy’s favorite color — orange.

The family watched the service via Facebook live, according to the newspaper.

“We were very excited for our trip to Kitty Hawk,” the family’s statement read, according to the Voice. “Wesley was excited to visit the state of North Carolina. We spent some of our days on the beach: collecting shells, digging holes in the sand, building sandcastles, and walking on the beach as a family with our dog.”

