Community rallies to support N.S. family after search for missing child suspended – Halifax

A Nova Scotia community is coming together to support a local family as an extensive multi-day search for a child in Guysborough County has been suspended for now.

The child was fishing with a man and another child in Cooks Cove last Thursday when he fell in the water.

“The man entered the water immediately to rescue the child but was unsuccessful,” RCMP said.

MLA Greg Morrow and a local Facebook group dedicated to finding the child have identified him as four-year-old Oakley.

In a weekend post, the MLA called for strength in the community.

“This weekend we are keeping our thoughts with Oakley’s family,” he wrote. “Thank you to all the first responders from near and far who are assisting during this very sad and difficult time. Keep your porch light on for Oakley.”

The search was suspended on Saturday around 5 p.m. RCMP said in a news release that the extensive search had not resulted in any information to suggest the child had gotten out of the water safely. The search also didn’t indicate where remains could be found.

In total, more than a dozen agencies joined efforts to find the child — including Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre and the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association.

Judy Burke with Strait Area Ground Search and Rescue said almost 40 people had taken part in the search each day.

“All the shoreline has been searched. Looking at tides and possibilities and probabilities. There’s sandbars, everything that we could reach has been searched by the search and rescue team,” she said.

“We had military aircraft, Hercules and Cormorants were up. We had drones were in the air. Every possible effort was put out there by us.”

Paul Long, the warden for the Municipality of the District of Guysborough, said the small community has been rallying around the family to try and support them and the searchers the best they can.

There was a large contingent of searchers who came from across the province, and there was an effort to bring water and food to help them.

The search was difficult and has been hampered by the weather, Long said.

“There were some very, very heavy winds and stuff coming — as they still are this morning,” he said.

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“(Calling off the search) was done in consultation with the family. They were involved in the decision-making process, making sure that they were kept aware of what their decisions were. I mean, it’s a very difficult thing to do when you’re searching a coastline where there’s a very strong current.”

He said he’s been informed the search may resume again this week.

“The intent is to be back early this week, I believe, to do some other types of searching, whether it’s only by air, land, whatever,” he said.

“And there are people that are walking the beaches and things and just trying to help out on their own to possibly spot the body or whatever might happen.”

He extended his thanks and appreciation to all those who came and took part in the search.

“There’s a lot of good people in the world that are still willing to help people and do what’s right,” he said.

“The unfortunate thing is we need these services, these emergency rescue services. You hope you never see them in your community, but it’s very comforting to know that they’re out there when you do need them.”

Long said his message to the family is that “the community is behind you” during the difficult time.

“It’ll be a long, long process for them to deal with all of this. So we’re all here for them,” he said.

— with files from Global News’ Ella MacDonald 

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