Search for 3-year-old boy swept away by Grand River flood extends to Monday

The search for a three-year-old boywho was swept away in the floodwaters of the Grand River near Orangeville, Ont., has been extended to Monday,Ontario Provincial PoliceConst. PaulNancekivellsays.

On Sunday, OPP'semergency response team returned to the area to search the ground forKadenYoung with the force'scanine unit.

The OPP's dive team also returned to searchthe water that overtook the minivan the boywas riding in.

There will be civilian volunteers on hand to assist with the search.

"Yesterday,it was 200.I expectthere will be at least 100 today if not more," Nancekivelltold CBC News.

A helicopter is expected to join Sunday's search in the afternoon.

"Our guys are going out, and peopleare very, very determined in that community to find that boy. They're not giving up,"Nancekivellsaid.

Police are now considering the search forKadena recovery mission, adding thatit's unlikelythe childsurvived given the conditions.

Conditions improving

The river's water level has dropped significantly since the boy went missing early last Wednesday morning and the current has slowed down, which police hope will aid the search.

"The level has dropped probably about 13 feet or so over since Wednesday, and with each time it's dropping there's more shoreline exposed,"Nancekivelladded. "We're hoping that we're going to find the little boy."

Police were concerned about freezing rain overnight hampering the search, but the weather has also improved.

"The sun is starting to come out now, so they have a good advantage of [there] being better weather."

The search is now focused on the area between Station Street Bridge and Bellwood Lake.

"It's 13 kilometres, so it's still a huge area,"Nancekivellsaid. "The Grand River has several bends and curves in that part of the river, so we're not discounting anywhere."

Searching since Wednesday

Police said the boy's mother was driving on10thLine in the Township of Amaranth when she drove past a road closure sign early Wednesday.

Police said it was foggy at the time, butthey are not sure why the woman decided to go past the sign.

Since Wednesday,OPP emergency response teams and canine units have beensearching for Kaden.

On Thursday, police found a shirt that belonged to Kaden in the water close to where the van was recovered.

Nancekevillsaid the shirt was "not clothing he wore,"but it provided police an estimate as to how far hisbody may have travelled.

On Friday,about 30 people were out with the boy's family searching. Thefamily began their own search along 10th Line inEast Garafraxa.

Nancekevillsaid policehave been updating the boy's parents through out the search.

"They're holding up. It's obviously very hard for them," he said. "We're in contact with them regularly throughout the day, giving them updates."