The mother of 3-year-old Kaden Young says the search for her son is over, two months after he was swept from her arms and into the Grand River.

A fisherman spotted a body in the river near Orangeville at around 3 p.m. Saturday and called the Ontario Provincial Police. Multiple police units and a forensic squad worked to remove the body from the water.

OPP Const. Paul Nancekivell told the Star he was hesitant about releasing the identity of the child until police knew for sure, but on Sunday morning Michelle Hanson, Kaden’s mother, posted to a Facebook group thanking the community for their support.

“We are wanting to thank everyone that has helped in the efforts to bring our son Kaden home. It has been a long extremely draining two months of searching and now has finally come to an end,” said the post.

Hanson said funeral arrangements are now being finalized.

On Feb. 21, Hanson was driving with Kaden when she accidentally missed a road-closure sign and her minivan was swept off the washed-out road and into the fast-moving river during a flood. She managed to free herself and Kaden from the vehicle, but the force of the water wrenched the boy from her arms.

Family members said Hanson hadn’t seen the road-closure sign due to dark and foggy conditions. It was about 1 a.m. when the vehicle hit the water.

Nancekivell told the Star a fisherman found the body under the County Rd. 26 bridge that goes over the Grand River in Belwood — about 14 kilometres away from where Kaden was pulled into the water.

Nancekivell said the body was found in a cluster of trees and shrubs where a Canada goose was nesting near the shore. An autopsy will be conducted in Toronto on Monday.

A steady stream of visitors, both local and from further a field, came to Belwood bridge on Sunday afternoon to remember the little boy whose disappearance touched so many people.

Tributes including bouquets of flowers, blue ribbons and stuffed animals with messages saying “We love you Kaden,” were tied to poles and the guardrail on the bridge.

“Two long gruelling months, involving hundreds and hundreds of volunteers, the first couple of weeks there were 4-500 volunteers a day, even through the March break we had hundreds of people a day, which was amazing,” Nancekivell said of the search. “It really rallied the community together. People showed up with excavators, boats. Any equipment we needed, we got it.”

“It is very emotional for them,” Nancekivell said. “People have been searching a long time, and to come out everyday and still have that drive, and to want to carry on.”

Nancekivell added that crisis counsellors have been made available to the many people involved, including the fisherman who found the body.

“It’s been tough on our officers,” he added. “They’ve been out here a long time, a lot of pressure; people saying why haven’t you found him.”

Nancekivell said he was there the day Kaden went missing and the river was raging. “(People had) stuff in their backyard, patio sets, flying down the river. Tremendously strong current, the river was up 10-15 feet in that area.”

This quiet community was obviously touched by the tragedy and many stopped to pay their respects.

“We heard the news, and for it to happen to someone so young,” says Lucy Devido, from Toronto, who was out for a drive in the area.

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Nancekivell said he found a little bit of hope in the fact there was a goose nesting near where the body was found, and officers had to be careful with it when removing the body from the water.

“Despite the tragedy, it’s a reminder of the power of mother nature,” he said

Richard Croft, a co-ordinator who helped organize the daily searches, said in a Facebook Live video he was returning to his day job after spending the last two months trying to find Kaden.

“We have completed our search, and I just want to take a minute to thank everyone who came out for the search efforts,” said Croft, who also thanked the search team leaders, police, and local businesses who all helped support the efforts.

Residents from communities all over southern Ontario looked tirelessly for Kaden even as the months went on, Croft said, adding hundreds of volunteers showed up on Easter weekend alone to help.

With files from The Canadian Press

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