London OPP continue search for missing girl who fell in a creek
Posted March 6, 2011 9:38 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
MELBOURNE, Ont. – Emergency crews in southwestern Ontario will continue to search the Gentleman’s Creek area in southwest Middlesex, near London, for signs of a young girl who fell through the ice.
The Ontario Provincial Police had to suspend the search for the missing girl at Gentleman’s Creek Saturday night because they were concerned that the overnight weather would be a factor in the search.
The OPP told 680News that the weather conditions have improved.
“We got our officers all here, our emergency response scene and our OPP divers. Everyone has arrived on scene, and the divers are going to be entering the water shortly, so we are going to start that search again today.”
The girl was with two other girls Saturday morning when she fell in. Rain and melting snow had made the banks of the creek very slippery.
Officers from the Middlesex detachment were called the Riverside Drive and Mayfair Road area, near the town of Melbourne, just before 11 a.m. Saturday. The OPP Emergency Response Team, K9 and members of the Southwest Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department are also on the scene.
“At this point in time, we’re still talking to a couple other girls that were with her, trying to piece together what happened, but we know that there were three girls down by the river and one of them did fall in,” OPP Constable Chris Hunter told 680News.
“We’re still trying to confirm if they were on the ice or just (near the) fast running water,” he added.
However, emergency efforts were hampered, Saturday, by extremely cold, fast-moving water, as well as poor ice conditions.
The temperature of the water is unknown, but it was reported to be between 3C and 5C outdoors.
Officials are warning people to stay away from rivers and fast moving streams because of the heavy rains and mild weather.
Police said that they will not release the girl’s name, however, they did say that she is under the age of 10.
