The search resumed with a reduced team on Wednesday in Dolbeau-Mistassini for the sixth consecutive day after a little girl ended up slipping in the backwaters of the Mistassibi River, in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean.
The mission is now one of location and recovery, said Sergeant Hugues Beaulieu, spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, police officers continued to patrol the river in small teams aboard a boat to try to locate the 4-year-old girl. Others were posted at strategic locations which serve as observation points, Sergeant Beaulieu added. The Press.
The day before, around twenty police officers were working to find the little girl, as well as a drone and a nautical team. As in previous days, the search was suspended for safety reasons as darkness fell.
On Monday afternoon, the SQ released, with the family’s agreement, a photo of the little girl’s clothing at the time of her disappearance. Residents and citizens traveling near the river are asked to contact the police if they see clothing similar to that in the photo.
The little girl was wearing a multi-colored winter coat, as well as blue snow pants.
Last Friday, emergency services were called around 2:30 p.m. to go to the place where the little girl was sliding with her mother, in Dolbeau-Mistassini, a town located north of Lac Saint-Jean. The tragedy occurred near a hiking trail located near Route 169.
It was at this point that the child was unable to stop his course, passing through the mesh of a guardrail installed along the bank and then finding himself in the waters of the Mistassibi River. The heavy rains received in the preceding days had caused the waters of the river, already tumultuous, to swell, police authorities reported at the time.
Wave of solidarity
On social networks, a wave of solidarity broke out towards the family affected by the tragedy. Several citizens offered their help in the search, as well as dogs to try to trace the little girl.
A donation collection campaign was also launched on Tuesday on the GoFundMe platform to support the family and make a commemorative plaque in honor of the little girl. As of Wednesday, more than $4,500 had already been raised.
On site, questions remain about the strength of the guardrail which partly detached when the little girl hit it, allowing her to sink into the eddies of the river.
“We wonder how the guardrail could have given way so easily. We’re talking about a 4 year old child here, not an adult. It makes you wonder if the installations were really safe,” said a resident, Maria Josée, to the local newspaper. The Daily last Saturday.