HALIFAX -- There is still no sign of a three-year-old boy who disappeared from his grandmother’s yard in Truro, N.S., after a six-day search.
An extensive search has been underway in the town since Dylan Ehler was reported missing Wednesday afternoon.
The search effort for the missing toddler transitioned to a recovery operation Thursday evening.
Over the weekend, search crews coped with cold, wet weather as they scoured the neighbourhood from which the boy disappeared, along with nearby waterways.
The search resumed Monday with assistance from Colchester Ground Search and Rescue and the Truro Fire Service, whose members searched the waterways.
Additional resources, including an underwater camera, were used in the Lepper Brook area, where the toddler's boots were found Wednesday evening.
"Unfortunately, all those efforts were unsuccessful in locating Dylan," said police in a statement Monday afternoon.
Police did not say whether the search would resume Tuesday, but said an update is expected at noon Tuesday.
Boy disappeared from yard last week
Police said last week that Dylan had been playing in his grandmother’s yard on Elizabeth Street when she became distracted by the family’s dog. When she turned back around, the boy was gone.
He was reported missing around 1:20 p.m. Wednesday and an extensive search was launched that afternoon.
The search has included support from local police, a K9 unit, the Truro Fire Service, Ground Search and Rescue teams from Colchester County and Halifax, a Department of Natural Resources helicopter, as well as a dive team.
Crews have spent several days scouring the ground, air and water, including a quick-moving brook and river, near the grandmother’s home.
Wednesday evening, the focus shifted to Lepper Brook and the Salmon River after the boy’s boots were found in the brook.
Much of the search has been focused on the waterways, including Cobequid Bay.
Recovery operation continued over the weekend
Police released details about the weekend operation in a statement Monday morning.
Colchester Ground Search and Rescue set up a command post on the Timbits soccer field on Marshland Drive and Park Street on Friday.
Police say members searched both sides of the Salmon River banks, from Highway 102 to the soccer field. A DNR helicopter monitored the area from the air and identified areas of interest for searchers on the ground.
On Saturday, police and search crews concentrated their efforts on the Lepper Brook area, where Dylan’s boots had been found.
Police also went back to Elizabeth and Queen streets to talk to residents in the hopes of securing new information.
On Sunday, police say searchers focused their efforts along the Salmon River to Highway 102 and walked the riverbed, as the tide was low. They also searched along Elizabeth Street, near Lepper Brook.
Anyone with information on Dylan’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Truro Police Service at 902-895-5351.
