RCMP drones search for young boy who fell into Guysborough river

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 23, 2025 11:50 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 hours ago

Drones piloted by Mounties were taking to the skies in Guysborough County connected Wednesday successful the hunt for a four-year-old lad who fell into the h2o on a river.

RCMP said the lad was sportfishing connected the Salmon River adjacent to wherever it empties into Chedabucto Bay with a antheral and different kid connected Thursday afternoon. The antheral jumped successful the h2o instantly but wasn't capable to rescue the child.

More than 13 agencies — including fire departments, unpaid hunt and rescue teams, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada — were called into work to assistance find the boy, but the hunt was suspended connected Saturday astatine 5 p.m. AT. 

RCMP said determination was nary accusation to suggest the kid got retired of the h2o safely.

On Wednesday, the Mounties said remotely piloted craft systems — besides known arsenic drones — would beryllium canvassing definite areas of the county. 

Police were asking the nationalist to debar utilizing idiosyncratic drones successful areas wherever constabulary were contiguous to forestall interference with their equipment.

Concerned assemblage members person continued to comb coastlines for the lad successful the days aft the authoritative hunt was suspended, mounting up a Facebook leafage titled The Search for Oakley to assistance way wherever members are scouring.

The lad was identified as four-year-old Oakley successful a Facebook station by Guysborough-Tracadie MLA Greg Morrow earlier this week, who expressed gratitude to everyone who has been searching, and asked residents to "keep your structure airy connected for Oakley."

A GoFundMe leafage acceptable up for Oakley's household by a comparative said the wealth raised volition enactment his parents, 2 brothers and sister.

"On their mode to walk Easter with family, they stopped to bask a spot of fishing, and that's erstwhile each parent's worst nightmare became a reality," the leafage reads. 

"Our household would similar to instrumentality this accidental to convey each azygous idiosyncratic — adjacent and acold — who has been searching, sending messages, donating, and praying."

Cast Away Cafe in Guysborough, N.S., posted successful the Facebook radical that it would beryllium offering free coffee, grilled food sandwiches and crockery to anyone helping with the hunt this week.