The body of a baby was found Thursday evening in the Maine river in Angers. It could be the four-day-old infant sought after the mother's suicide attempt.
Angers prosecutor Éric Bouillard said the body matches the age and build of the missing infant. He noted it was too soon to confirm the identity and that medical examinations were required.
The baby was discovered by a person paddle boarding on the river. Examinations will determine whether it was a drowning or if death occurred earlier.
The mother had left her home in Avrillé on Thursday around 4 a.m. She attempted suicide by jumping from a bridge in Château-Gontier, Mayenne. She is gravely injured but not in life-threatening condition.
An inquiry into the worrying disappearance had been opened. Police, firefighters and gendarmes actively searched for the child throughout Thursday.