The search for Frank Young, a five-year-old who went missing from Red Earth Cree Nation Tuesday has moved to a local river that runs through the community.
RCMP dive teams, and search and rescue boats from the community were scouring the shores of the Carrot River Wednesday and Thursday.
There’s been no sign of the boy since lunchtime on Tuesday.
Police don’t believe the boy was abducted.
Frank was wearing just dinosaur pajamas, his paw patrol rubber boots and a blue windbreaker when he was last seen.
On Wednesday night, an RCMP search and rescue plane equipped with infrared cameras arrived —doing grid searches for several hours.
Aerial and ground searches by trained search and rescue teams from First Nations around Saskatchewan have also continued.
On Wednesday, members were out in boats, searching the shoreline.
During a news conference Thursday, officials from Red Earth, located 360 km northeast of Saskatoon, spoke of the difficulties of the search.
“We too feel the pressure and the grief and whatever that comes with…and so far we’ve been unsuccessful in locating Frank,” said Barry Mckay, vice chief of Red Earth Cree Nation.
While the search has gotten support from across the province, Red Earth council member, Zachary Whitecap spoke of the sense of community locally, as searchers work to find the missing 5-year-old.
“We come together as a community, both Red Earth and Shoal Lake are a community, we’re strong in our love, in our guidance and helping each other as a community,” Whitecap said.
A province-wide “vulnerable person” alert was extended, asking people to keep an eye out for Frank and for people in the area to continue searching their properties.
Officials say the search will go on until the child is found.
