Despite the announcement earlier this week of a “scale back” in search efforts by police, OPP ground search and diver teams joined dozens of community volunteers for yet another day of searching for the body of three-year-old Kaden Young in Grand Valley, Ont.
Young was swept out of his mother’s arms when her minivan was washed off a flooded road and into the Grand River on Wednesday, Feb. 21. The boy is presumed dead, but the search for his body continues. Both police and members of the community involved in the search say they are trying to bring the family closure.
Others in the community are focusing on making sure such a tragedy doesn’t befall Grand Valley again.
Local residents say the stretch of 10th Line that flooded north of Station Street that night often gets covered with water when river levels rise. While it’s never led to fatal consequences before, some have suggested proactive measures to prevent such tragedy from occurring again.
“I’m proposing they put up guardrails, or at least investigate putting up guardrails along the east side of 10th Line here,” says area resident Rachel Kirk, gesturing toward the roadside area where the water breached the banks the night little Kaden disappeared.
Kirk posted the suggestion in a Facebook group dedicated to co-ordinating the volunteer search, encouraging anyone who agrees to email Amaranth Township Mayor Don MacIver.
MacIver was unavailable to do an interview with Global News on Friday, but Deputy Mayor Jane Aultman and Coun. Gail Little both confirmed that it is an item on the agenda at the council’s meeting on Wednesday. Little says it’s unlikely that council will make a definitive vote on the idea on Wednesday; more likely, they’ll discuss potential options and costs and decide after those have all been explored.
Kirk says she hasn’t received much feedback on the suggestion, though those who have spoken to her about it suggest it would be a good idea as long as the township can afford it.
Comments