Police dogs and an underwater search team joined the ongoing hunt Thursday for a five-year-old boy in northern Saskatchewan who hasn’t been seen in three days.
Frank Young was last seen Tuesday playing in his family’s yard near Carrot River wearing his Paw Patrol rubber boots, green dinosaur pajamas, and a windbreaker.
“We are expanding our search all over the community,” said Barry McKay, vice-chief of the Red Earth Cree First Nation, who was out in the field.
McKay said houses and outbuildings in the community have all been scoured. Teams have even lifted up manhole covers.
“They went through all those and they’re still searching.”
McKay said search dogs arrived on the site Thursday. RCMP have also dispatched a dive team to look in a nearby water body.
People began looking for Frank Tuesday night at about 9 pm along the riverbank in the community and its playground.
About 50 people are involved in the search, said McKay. In addition to boots on the ground, police, firefighters and members of the public are using all-terrain vehicles, a sonar-equipped boat, thermal imaging cameras and aircraft.
People are starting to arrive from all over Saskatchewan to help with the search, McKay said.
“They’re welcome. Our crews are getting tired and we do need some help.”
McKay said the impact on the community has been severe.
“It is overwhelming,” he said.
The weather in the area has been snowy and windy, with temperatures just above freezing.
Carrot River is about 300 kilometers northeast of Saskatoon.
Frank is described as four-feet tall, approximately 66 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21, 2022.