Murder detectives in Canada have launched an investigation after the bodies of a little girl and her father were found inside a nature reserve north of Hamilton, Ontario.

Robin Allan McLean Brown, 35, and his 4-year-old daughter, Keira Kagan, were found in the Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area on Sunday afternoon, authorities confirmed to CP24 News.

The pair disappeared after going on a hike.

Authorities reported that the pair died from a fall suffered in the park. Homicide detectives are investigating the deaths.

The girl’s mother, Jennifer Kagan, said she lost “her best friend”.

Lucas Dobson: Six-year-old boy missing after falling in river Show all 15 1 /15 Lucas Dobson: Six-year-old boy missing after falling in river Lucas Dobson: Six-year-old boy missing after falling in river Volunteers search near to the River Stour in Sandwich, Kent, for missing six-year-old Lucas Dobson who fell into the river while fishing with family on Saturday, 17 August 2019. Gareth Fuller/PA Lucas Dobson: Six-year-old boy missing after falling in river Volunteers search near to the River Stour for missing six-year-old Lucas Dobson who fell into the river in Sandwich, on Saturday afternoon. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday August 18, 2019. See PA story POLICE River. Photo credit should read: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire Gareth Fuller Gareth Fuller/PA Lucas Dobson: Six-year-old boy missing after falling in river Six-year-old Lucas Dobson, who was swept away after falling into the River Stour in Sandwich, Kent, while fishing with family on 17 August 2019. Family handout/Maciee Stanford/PA Lucas Dobson: Six-year-old boy missing after falling in river Six-year-old Lucas Dobson, who was swept away after falling into the River Stour in Sandwich, Kent, while fishing with family on 17 August 2019. Family handout/Maciee Stanford/PA Lucas Dobson: Six-year-old boy missing after falling in river Volunteers search for missing six-year-old Lucas Dobson who fell into the River Stour in Sandwich, Kent, while fishing on Saturday, 17 August 2019. Gareth Fuller/PA Lucas Dobson: Six-year-old boy missing after falling in river A member of Kent Search and Rescue searches a section of the River Stour for missing six-year-old Lucas Dobson who fell into the river on 17 August 2019. Gareth Fuller/PA Lucas Dobson: Six-year-old boy missing after falling in river Handout photo from the Twitter feed of Kent Fire and Rescue Service of emergency services, who are working together to find a young child who fell into the River Stour in Sandwich, Kent. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday August 17, 2019. Kent Police said officers were called to Richborough Road in Sandwich at around 1.20pm on Saturday regarding concern for the welfare of a child who had fallen into the River Stour. See PA story POLICE River. Photo credit should read: Kent Fire and Rescue Service/Twitter/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. Kent Fire and Rescue Service/Twi Kent Fire and Rescue Service/Twitter Lucas Dobson: Six-year-old boy missing after falling in river File image of an AgustaWestland AW139 HM Coastguard helicopter, which has joined the search for six-year-old Lucas Dobson. Andrew Matthews/PA/file photo Lucas Dobson: Six-year-old boy missing after falling in river Members of the public and volunteers gather outside the fire station in Sandwich, Kent, as they prepare to resume the search for missing six-year-old Lucas Dobson who fell into the River Stour on 17 August 2019. Gareth Fuller/PA Lucas Dobson: Six-year-old boy missing after falling in river Members of the public gather to join specialist search and rescue teams outside the fire station in Sandwich, Kent as they prepare to resume the search for a missing six-year-old boy who fell into the River Stour in Sandwich, on Saturday afternoon. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday August 18, 2019. See PA story POLICE River. Photo credit should read: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire Gareth Fuller Gareth Fuller/PA Lucas Dobson: Six-year-old boy missing after falling in river A member of Kent Search and Rescue talks to members of the public gathered to join specialist search and rescue teams outside the fire station in Sandwich, Kent as they prepare to resume the search for a missing six-year-old boy who fell into the River Stour in Sandwich, on Saturday afternoon. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday August 18, 2019. See PA story POLICE River. Photo credit should read: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire Gareth Fuller Gareth Fuller/PA Lucas Dobson: Six-year-old boy missing after falling in river Members of the public gather to join specialist search and rescue teams outside the fire station in Sandwich, Kent as they prepare to resume the search for a missing six-year-old boy who fell into the River Stour in Sandwich, on Saturday afternoon. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday August 18, 2019. See PA story POLICE River. Photo credit should read: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire Gareth Fuller Gareth Fuller/PA Lucas Dobson: Six-year-old boy missing after falling in river Members of the public gather to join specialist search and rescue teams outside the fire station in Sandwich, Kent as they prepare to resume the search for a missing six-year-old boy who fell into the River Stour in Sandwich, on Saturday afternoon. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday August 18, 2019. See PA story POLICE River. Photo credit should read: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire Gareth Fuller Gareth Fuller/PA Lucas Dobson: Six-year-old boy missing after falling in river A police officer talks to members of the public gathered to join specialist search and rescue teams outside the fire station in Sandwich, Kent as they prepare to resume the search for a missing six-year-old boy who fell into the River Stour in Sandwich, on Saturday afternoon. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday August 18, 2019. See PA story POLICE River. Photo credit should read: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire Gareth Fuller Gareth Fuller/PA Lucas Dobson: Six-year-old boy missing after falling in river Volunteers search for missing six-year-old Lucas Dobson who fell into the River Stour in Sandwich, on Saturday afternoon. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday August 18, 2019. See PA story POLICE River. Photo credit should read: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire Gareth Fuller Gareth Fuller/PA

“Keira was the absolute most special girl you could ever ask for, my best friend, the most wonderful, kind-hearted girl, the most wonderful special big sister for this little guy,” Ms Kaplan said. “She had a shirt that said ‘I am going to change the world,’ and I believe that Keira truly thought she could, so now I am going to try and do that for her.”

Ms Kagan and her husband, Philip Viater, had been in a heated custody battle with Mr Brown over Kiera. Mr Viater has suggested that the death of his stepdaughter and her father was no accident.

“There was no reason for him to be hiking at Rattlesnake Point with our 4-year-old daughter at all,” he told the Toronto Sun. “This is not an activity they did together. We suspect that he took her and jumped off the cliff to kill both her and himself.”

Mr Viater went on to criticise the judicial system, pointing to multiple unanswered complaints he claims he and his wife made regarding Mr Brown.

“The system is fundamentally flawed. We told everybody of the problems with this guy and nobody would listen,” Mr Viater said. “We have been fighting him over visitation rights and custody issues for a long time.”

Mr Viater said he predicted that Mr Brown would do something sinister to Kiera.

“I said for three years he would end up kidnapping her, kill or at very least leave her psychologically scarred. Now my worst fears have happened,” he said.

On 28 January the couple sought an emergency order to prevent any further unsupervised visits between Mr Brown and Keria. Mr Viater said Mr Brown’s fear of losing visitation could have pushed him over the edge.

“He could feel the walls closing in. I think he believed this could be his last visit with her,” he said. “I believe his attitude was ‘if he couldn’t be with her, no one could be.’”

Around 45 officers from the Halton Regional police searched the park, which is a rugged natural preservation area.