The search for a five-year-old boy presumed to have fallen through the ice near Kitchener is now a recovery effort.
Emergency crews were called to the scene shortly before 5 p.m. Thursday and found some of the boy’s clothes by the edge of Nith River in the town of New Hamburg. There was evidence at the scene that someone had fallen through a patch of ice.
Officers and firefighters from several regional fire departments scoured the river for the boy using two boats and a hovercraft. They conducted a ground search as well, using ATVs to search for the boy.
The search was called off late last night because of safety concerns but resumed this morning at 9:30 a.m. However, emergency officials said the freezing temperatues mean the chances of finding the boy alive are slim.
Police are warning everyone to be extra vigilant around bodies of water.
"The thickness of ice varies widely, especially in areas of moving water," Waterloo Regional Police said in a news release. "The recent ice storm has left the banks extremely slippery along with numerous fallen ice covered trees to add to the danger."
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