Police search for toddler missing near river in northwestern Alberta

Police are searching for a toddler who went missing near the Wapiti River in the Municipal Districtof Greenview on Friday night.

Grande PrairieRCMPsaid atwo-year-old boy was with his family near CanforBridge, located approximately470 kilometres north of Edmonton, when he disappeared.

Although the search was suspended overnight, officers returned to theriverin the pouring rain Saturday morning with STARS air ambulance and the Grande Prairie Technical Search and Rescue team.

By 5 p.m. Saturday, the crews had covered eight kilometres of water and landdownriver from the CanforBridge, Grande Prairie RCMPspokesperson Melanie McIntoshtold CBC News.

"We've been searching all day," said McIntosh, who is part of the rescue effort. "It's been a bit rainy here and the terrain's rough."

The search included islands, as well as combing through trees and grass up to 100 metres from the shoreline on both sides of the river.

Crews will continue looking for the toddleruntil last light on Saturday, McIntosh said, with plans to return early Sunday morning.

All available resources are deployed in the ongoing search, RCMP said. Officersare asking the general public to stay away from the area to allow crews to work.

Some people in Grande Prairie pooled resources Saturdayto bring food and coffee to first responders working on and around the river.

There is also an online fundraiser for the toddler's parents, as well as an informal campaign to place teddy bears in front yards to show support for the family.

"Just felt like I had to do something," Arlene De Heus, the woman who started the teddy bear campaign, wrote in a Facebook message to CBC News."Might be small but it's all I could do."

Further updateswill be provided when more information is available, RCMP said.