Search efforts continue Thursday for three-year-old Kaden Young who went missing after a vehicle was swept into the Grand River near Orangeville, Ont., amid severe flooding in the area Wednesday morning, the Ontario Provincial Police say.
Dufferin County OPP say helicopters and ground crews will search the Waldemar area for Kaden Young before heading south towards Belwood Lake.
Const. Paul Nancekivell says Young’s mother has been released from hospital and has returned home to her family.
Emergency crews originally responded to the single-vehicle crash site near County Road 109 close to the village of Waledmar around 1 a.m. Wednesday, where they found a minivan had driven through a flooded roadway.
Water rescue teams from the Centre Wellington Fire department’s Fergus and Elora detachments were called to assist.
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Nancekivell, spokesman for OPP’s Dufferin detachment, told Global News that the van was driving southbound down 10th Line and failed to stop at the road closure that had been in place. Nancekivell said the woman drove into heavy water and when she tried to back up, the van was swept into the Grand River.
Nancekivell said the woman was able to pull the young boy from the car after it went into the river, but she lost her grip and the boy was swept downstream.
The woman managed to get herself out and onto the side of the river but Nancekivell said the van travelled seven kilometres downriver and got stuck in silt.
Hearts and a teddy bear hung on bridge overlooking grand river where three-year-old Kaden was swept from mother's arms into water. Search for his body underway pic.twitter.com/VtpUpM0TBW
— Marianne Dimain (@MDimaintv) February 22, 2018
Officials said they have divers, a helicopter and ground personnel searching for the boy.
Grand Valley District Fire Chief Kevin McNeilly said the search is now considered a recovery operation rather than a rescue effort.
READ MORE : Grand River watershed flooding causes several road closures
Nancekivell said the woman, who lives in the area, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment of hypothermia.
It is unclear at this time why the woman drove through the road closures.
READ MORE : Brantford, Ont., remains under state of emergency due to flooding risk
Emergency crews battled fast-moving waters and ice floes as the entire Grand River watershed was placed under a flood warning earlier this week.
County Road 109 was closed from County Road 25 to Trafalgar Road due to the investigation.
WATCH: Aerial footage shows continuing search for missing three-year-old boy
Days of mild temperatures and heavy rains have caused an ice jam in the Grand River to break free, causing water levels to rise.
Nearly 100 kilometres away, the city of Brantford, Ont., declared a state of emergency and evacuated people from homes and businesses in certain neighbourhoods due to the flooding.
—With files from the Canadian Press
CWFD water rescue teams from Fergus & Eloa stn in the water assisting Grand Valley fire with a vehicle in the Grand river / missing person in the water. Fast moving water, lots of large ice flows pic.twitter.com/lVJqbGiKe6
— Brad Patton (@FormerFireChief) February 21, 2018
— Brad Patton (@FormerFireChief) February 21, 2018
Tough call last night for Centre Wellington Fire & Rescue and Grand Valley FD. I am very proud and grateful of our Officers & Firefighters. Tec Rescue calls at night in fast moving cold water with large ice flows is extremely risky, complex and exhausting. They are professionals
— Brad Patton (@FormerFireChief) February 21, 2018
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of this tragic event. https://t.co/F0mVHRqrqR
— Brad Patton (@FormerFireChief) February 21, 2018
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