Search for toddler in Thames River turns into rescue in London, Ontario. – London
Police in London, Ontario, say an ongoing search has turned into a recovery effort as crews work to locate a missing child who was last seen entering the the Thames earlier this week.
Emergency crews were called to Adelaide Street North and Kipps Lane at 3pm on Thursday to reports a young child had fallen into the river and failed to resurface.
“THE London Police Service“, as well as the London Fire Service, had their marine units in the water,” said Constable Matthew Dawson. “They also had officers and search and save units combing the river banks as well as static positions across the river throughout the city.
A remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) was also dispatched as crews continued to search the area for hours.
The email you need for the day
The top news from Canada and around the world.
Receive daily national news
Get the day’s top political, business and current affairs news delivered to your inbox once a day.
Dawson told Global News that several large floodlights were then set up as the search continued into the night.
“All emergency services were also deployed to the river early on Friday morning,” he said.
“We continue to actively search for the child with the assistance of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Underwater Search and Recovery Unit (USRU), an OPP Aviation Services helicopter, as well as London Search and Rescue (LSAR), Huron County Search and Rescue (HSAR) and the London Fire Department,” added Dawson.
On Friday afternoon, police confirmed to Global News that the search effort has been transitioned into a recovery effort that will continue throughout the weekend, if necessary.
“The unfortunate thing about the rescue effort is that as time goes on, there’s a growing understanding that the child may still be alive,” Dawson said. “The search effort continues to be ramped up, and we continue to have more officers and search and rescue teams on the riverbank, combing as efficiently as possible, but also as thoroughly as possible.”
He added that search efforts were also extended across the city, given the size of the Thames.
“We’ve started here in Adelaide (North Street) and Kipps (Lane), which continue to be areas that we continually come back to and monitor,” Dawson said. “(But) the public can expect to see police, not only in boats and on the riverbanks, but also in motor vehicles throughout the city.
“We are making sure to cover all the locations of the river as much as possible to make sure we do our best to locate her child.”
Police are not releasing the name and age of the missing child at this time.
As part of the ongoing search, a special weather statement was in effect for the region Friday, with Environment Canada warning of torrential rain in the form of slow-moving thunderstorms.
Dawson told Global News that police are asking the public to avoid the river at this time.
“The river level is high. We have had a lot of rain and there is more rain forecast,” he said. “While we understand the desire to assist in the search for this child, we are asking emergency personnel to conduct the search on the water and along the river banks with appropriate safety equipment.”
More information will be provided as it becomes available.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the London Police Service at (519) 661-5670 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
