Search for child in Thames River now a recovery operation in London, Ont.

First responders in London, Ont., say their search for a girl who went missing in the Thames River has turned into a recovery operation.

Divers and boats started looking for the missing child at around 3 p.m. ET Thursday after reports that she had entered the water near the intersection of Adelaide Street and Kipps Lane, and was then seen struggling.

After an overnight pause, the search resumed Friday around 10 a.m., starting at the same location where the girl went missing and moving west. 

“The search efforts continue and have now transitioned into a recovery effort to locate the missing child. Search and recovery efforts will continue throughout the weekend, if necessary,” said Const. Matt Dawson of the London Police Service (LPS). 

There are no details on the age of the missing child, but the emergency call, according to fire officials, came from the mother. 

About a dozen church community members who were at the scene Thursday for support said the mother was there with her three children and the family is from the Philippines. The church members also said the young girl, who is believed to be about seven years old, was with her mother and two younger siblings when she approached the river.

“My heart goes out to the family …,” said Gordon Gripp, who has lived in the neighbourhood for 17 years and regularly walks his dog along the river. “A lot of us [in the neighbourhood] are parents, so when you hear about a child, your heart just breaks.”

OPP helping local police and fire crews

Police and fire crews are being aided by Ontario Provincial Police’s underwater search and recovery unit. The OPP have also sent a helicopter and LPS was using its drones. 

“It’s a large and expansive area, so it’s just a matter of us continuing to focus and cover off all the areas as best as possible,” said Dawson. “With the additional rain, it obviously will lead to the water continuing to move and flow quickly.”

The river’s fast flow was something local community member Athul Surendra noticed the day the girl went missing. 

“It was flowing comparatively faster than how it normally would and the water level was quite high,” said Surendra, who said he has walked along the river every morning for the past two weeks. 

Emergency crews closed the dam at the Fanshawe Conservation Area on Thursday when they began their search. While they reopened it overnight to relieve water from rainfall, Dawson said it is closed again to assist with the investigation. 

Police are reminding the public to stay safe near the river and allow emergency crews to do their jobs.

“As much as we appreciate the help, we have all of our emergency responders that have the proper safety equipment to make sure they’re safe in the water,” said Dawson. “We don’t want to have to save somebody else.”

Dawson said there is no timeline for completing the search.