Wellington County OPP say a body was discovered in the Grand River in Belwood on Saturday afternoon.
A police spokesperson confirmed the remains were found by the bridge of County Round 26 after receiving a report from a resident.
“At 3 p.m. a local fisherman here found the remains of a small male beside the bridge in the trees on the edge of the shore,” Const. Paul Nancekivell told Global News Saturday evening.
OPP officers from Dufferin and Wellington counties responded and closed the bridge in both directions.
Nancekivell said the coroner was notified and after the scene was processed by officers, the body was taken to the coroner’s office in Toronto to be identified.
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Police wouldn’t confirm a connection, but Nancekivell said the location of the discovery is 13 kilometres away from where three-year-old Kaden Young went missing in February after he was swept away from his mother’s arms.
Nancekivell said along with community volunteers who have been searching for Kaden, officers from the dive team and aerial units have been looking for the boy. He said weather conditions and the freeze-thaw cycles of the river have impacted search efforts.
WATCH: Kaden Young’s mother thanks community as search continues for body of missing toddler. Kamil Karamali reports.
Michelle Hanson, Kaden’s mother, spoke with Global News earlier in the day and described the search effort to date.
“We’ve had a lot of support through the community and people as far as out west. It has been amazing. The people have really been incredible, very supportive and I really can’t thank them enough,” she said.
“I would like to thank every one of them for everything they’ve done for me and my family to help us bring Kaden home.”
Hanson also highlighted the need for additional people to help with the search effort.
“We still need a lot more volunteers … (we) had a lot of people in the beginning and the numbers have dropped quite a bit.”
With files from Jeremy Cohn