(Dolbeau-Mistassini) The search for a 4-year-old girl who fell into the waters of the Mistassibi River on Friday, in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, was suspended again Monday evening, for safety reasons.
The search operation will resume Tuesday morning, for the fifth consecutive day, indicated Hugues Beaulieu, spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).
On Monday afternoon, the SQ released, with the family’s agreement, a photo of the girl’s clothing at the time of her disappearance, calling on residents and citizens traveling near the river to contact the police. if they saw clothes similar to those in the photo.
The little girl was wearing a multi-colored winter coat, as well as blue snow pants.
The search continued without divers throughout the day.
“All the work that had to be done has been done. We are really surveying the area from the banks now. We will also have helicopter support as well as a drone,” explained Sergeant Beaulieu at the start of the day Monday.
More than twenty police officers were on the ground Monday trying to find the little girl.
On Friday, emergency services were called to the place where the little girl was sliding with her mother, in Dolbeau-Mistassini, when the tragedy occurred around 2:30 p.m., near a hiking trail located at near route 169.
It was at this point that the child was unable to stop his course, to pass through the mesh of a guardrail installed along the bank.
“What we understand from the event is that the little girl was with her mother and she was sliding near the river. Despite the railing with the mesh, she nevertheless passed through and ended up in the water,” explained Mr. Beaulieu earlier.
The latter did not want to comment on the chances of finding the little girl alive.