Search continues for girl who went missing near Mitchell, Ont.

West Perth Fire Chief Bill Hunter said police officers and firefighters are continuing to search for a 10-year-old girl who went missing near Mitchell, Ont., on Sunday.

“The search has resumed this morning,” Hunter said. The OPP search and recover unit and firefighters from Perth West, Perth East and St. Mary’s have joined in the search, he said.

“The water level has reduced tremendously.”

Late Monday on Twitter, Hunter announced that the search would be picked up Tuesday morning with fire crews from other municipalities being brought in to help the OPP with the search.

He said that firefighters from Perth East and St. Mary’s are helping to provide a break to locals who were assisting the OPP with the search.

An unnamed 10-year-old girl fell into Whirls Creek near Mitchell on Sunday morning, shortly before 10:30 a.m.

Mitchell, which was amalgmated into West Perth in 1998, is about 20 kilometres northwest of Stratford and around 60 kilometres north of London.

On Monday, Perth County OPP said that the search continued with members of the Stratford, St. Marys, and Huron Area Search and Rescue Swift Water Rescue teams, along with the OPP West Region Emergency Response Team, Canine Unit, Underwater Search and Rescue, and Aviation.

Provincial Police were asking people to avoid the area with Perth Road 160 being closed between Perth line 34 and Perth line 32.

“The conditions are very hazardous, the water is fast-moving, and we are asking the public to stay away from the area because there are trained personnel working and conducting the search,” Perth OPP Const. Jillian Johnson told Global News.

Area residents have volunteered to help with the search but police are asking them to steer clear of the scene.

“It is really great there are so many people wanting to help, but because of the poor conditions out there, we do not need anyone to potently cause more tragedies to happen,” she said.

— with files from Global News’ Kelly Wang