WINNIPEG - The search for a nine-year-old boy in the Red River in Winnipeg has ended with the boy being found dead.
Police say in a news release that Darius Bezecki has been located deceased in the Red River.
The search began late Friday afternoon when police said the boy, who lives near the river, was believed to have entered the water near the Louise Bridge.
They said he was riding bikes with his siblings and a friend, and that around the same time police received a report that at least one of the children was in the water.
Searchers deployed a boat and also used a drone with a camera and thermal imaging technology to look for him, but weren't able to find him on Friday evening or Saturday.
Police say the boy's parents have been notified.
“It is incredibly sad, and the outcome no one was looking for. Our thoughts are with his family,” Const. Jay Murray said in an email.
Murray wouldn't say where along the river the boy was found, out of respect for his family.
A high-water advisory has been issued by the province for the Red River between Emerson and Winnipeg due to recent rain, and the conditions have prompted officials to close all of the city's boat launches due to the high water and unforeseen objects below the water.
Murray said the river conditions posed challenges for police divers.
“Their dives were considered to be high-risk, however they still entered the water numerous times over the past two in search of Darius Bezecki,” Murray wrote.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 5, 2020
