All three children were pronounced dead after first responders performed life-saving measures, including CPR, Corey added.
“We don’t know exactly what happened here,” Corey said during a news conference Monday, stressing that the information was preliminary. A woman who authorities said is “believed to be the mother” was questioned by police Monday morning after she was spotted in Brighton Beach. The 30-year-old was later taken to hospital, police said, without releasing her condition. There is no indication at this time of prior child abuse or neglect, authorities noted. As investigators piece together exactly what happened to the children and the woman, here’s what we know about how things unfolded:

It started with a 911 call

Police received a 911 call at 1:40 a.m. on Monday by someone concerned that “a family member may have harmed her three young children,” Corey said. The caller asked police to check the woman’s apartment. When police arrived at the apartment, a man who identified himself as the father of one of the three children and said he was also concerned, Corey added. The man told police he believed the woman and three children were on a boardwalk in Coney Island.

A search follows

For about 90 minutes, officers searched beaches, streets and a local hospital. Another 911 call then came in, directing officers to a specific location — Brighton 6th Street and the Riggleman Boardwalk in nearby Brighton Beach. The caller reported a woman who was distraught, a police spokesman told CNN. When officers arrived, they found the woman and other family members with her. The children were not in this place. The search continued through ground, air and port units. Around 4:42 a.m., officers found the children on the shoreline on West 35th Street in Coney Island.

Woman found 2 miles from children

The location where the children were found is about two miles from where the woman was discovered.
The woman was “wet” when investigators made contact with her, according to Corey, who noted that it was unclear whether she was in the rain or the water off shore. Police questioned the woman and she is now being treated, according to the NYPD, although her condition is unclear. The woman has not been charged, police said. CNN’s Liam Reilly, Mark Morales and Dakin Andone contributed to this report.