‘It is daunting but we can’t give up’: OPP continues search for missing 3-year-old

The search for a missing three-year-old boy swept away in the Grand River in the early hours of Feb. 21 has now entered its eighth day.

While Ontario Provincial Police announced it would be scaling back its search for Kaden Young, police said their commitment to finding the missing boy has not diminished.

“It is daunting but we can’t give up,” Const. Paul Nancekivell told CityNews. “There’s a little kid there and we’ve got to find him; that’s the bottom line.

“There’s a family at home waiting for this kid, waiting for closure. However long it takes, we’ve got to get this done.”

Local construction companies are donating their time and equipment to help clear the river of ice floes while a Kitchener man has donated underwater drones to look under the ice along paths recently cleared by excavators.

Rick Wilson, owner of Wilson Ponds, a landscaping company that digs waterfalls and ponds, said it was important to donate his time, equipment and crews to help find Kaden.

“This is kind of our profession, being in the water,” Wilson said. “I think our main task is to try and find the little guy if we can.”

Nancekivell said while some of their own assets, such as the helicopter and dive team have been pulled back so they can be deployed to other areas of the province, it doesn’t mean they won’t be brought back if needed.

Officers were combing the area around Belwood Lake, about 13 kilometres downstream from where the boy disappeared in the Grand River near Orangeville, Ont.

While fewer volunteers were expected to turn out for the search as the work week resumed, Nancekivell the small community has rallied behind the family.

“It’s amazing. There was 500 people each day on the weekend helping out,” he said. “Yesterday, there was 250. It’s just phenomenal what the people are doing here.”

A Facebook page, with more than 12,000 followers, was set up last week as a way to co-ordinate the volunteer search effort. It was unexplainably shut down Wednesday morning, creating confusion among volunteers that perhaps the boy was recovered.

The family has since set up a new page, Bring Kaden Young Home to His Family, and hopes to continue with volunteer search efforts.

“It’s crucial with our search efforts,” said family friend Amanda Millward. “The family could not be more overwhelmed by how amazing the community has been helping.”

Nancekivell said their biggest challenge at this point is the ice and changing water levels.

“Every day it’s dropping,” he said. “The temperature change, we’re hoping it loosens things up. It’s a daunting task, it’s 13 kilometres of river. Where is he? We’re trying to find him. We’re trying to narrow down the search as best we can, but it’s difficult.”

The toddler was in the family van when the vehicle was swallowed up by the fast moving river.

His mother managed to get the boy out of the van, but lost her grip in the strong current and he was swept downstream.

Related stories:

Search for missing child swept up in Grand River now a recovery mission

Files from The Canadian Press were used in this report.