OPP say a 3 year old boy was swept out of his mother’s arms when their van drove through flood waters and right into the river. Police discovered the van submerged in the Grand River but when emergency crews went into the frigid water and searched inside, the boy was no where to be found.

OPP say around 1 o’clock Wednesday morning, the van went into the water 4 kilometers up stream after the mother drove through a road closure that was made after the banks of the Grand River were overflowing onto the street. The van got stuck in the deep water and the mother got out of the van. She had her child in her hand, but the child slipped from her grip and that’s when the van was swept up in this fast moving river.

When firefighters arrived the woman was waist-deep in water calling for help. She was taken to hospital to be treated for hypothermia and was later released. Police say the mother and son are locals in the small town of Waldemar, 20 kilometres west of Orangeville.