From rescue to recovery: Search continues for missing women last seen struggling in the Grand River

The search for two women who ran into trouble while out on the Grand River in Kitchener, Ont. is no longer a rescue effort but a recovery mission.

The pair were last seen on a floatie, in the water near King Street East, at around 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

“A witness described two individuals going over the dam and calling out for help,” said Insp. Matt Halliday with the Waterloo Regional Police Service. “The witness did not see the two boaters resurface.”

Grand River near King Street East and River Road East in Kitchener on July 15, 2024. (Dan Lauckner/CTV News)

Police initially said the women were boating but confirmed Tuesday that it was actually a “side-by-side personal floatation device,” or floatie.

“This device was observed deflated in the churning water. Based on the information gathered, we do not believe they were wearing life jackets at the time,” Halliday added.

On Monday evening, two days after the women went missing, teams were seen searching about six kilometres down the Grand River.

Police later confirmed that a woman’s body had been spotted by an OPP helicopter near Old Mill Road.

Investigators said they’re still waiting for autopsy results to determine her identity.

In terms of the ongoing search, teams have accepted a hard truth.

“Given the duration of the search and the length of time the two females have been missing, we are treating this as a recovery effort,” Halliday explained.

A Waterloo Regional Police officer at the Grand River near King Street East and River Road East in Kitchener on July 15, 2024. (Dan Lauckner/CTV News)

The Cambridge Fire Department and OPP helicopter will continue to search the area around the Grand River.

“Our team has an airboat and we’ve been actively searching the river from the Parkhill Dam all the way up to the Freeport area,” said Cambridge Fire Chief Rob Martin. “Obviously with the river being extremely high, [there’s] a lot of debris in the river. They’re taking their time and being meticulous with their search.”

Officials are not asking for any volunteer search teams at this time.

“We continue to ask the public to avoid the riverbank and not to engage in any independent search activities,” said Halliday. “Emergency services have dedicated resources deployed and the assistance in not required.”