Four days after 18-year-old William Johnston went missing off the pier in Port Stanley, OPP confirm they found the body of the young swimmer.  

After hearing the news, his mother Josephine Johnston choked back tears saying,  "I have closure, he's home."

Johnston went missing on Thursday after he jumped into the choppy waters off the pier.

Lifeguards rescued a 19-year-old woman who went in the water with Johnston but they were unable to save him.

OPP say the teen never made it back to the shore.

Today, his mother thanked the countless strangers who reached out and helped the family in the lowest part of their lives.

"I would like to send out a big thank you to the community of Port Stanley. The Inn on the Harbour, the Buccaneer, Mackies, all the strangers that have given us food and sent their support and prayers. I'd just like to thank all of you." said Josephine.

The search for the London teen began Thursday afternoon, but was called off a few hours later and a recovery mission was put in place.  

Members of the OPP Under Water Search and Recovery Unit returned to the pier on Friday and Saturday for an all-day search that was unsuccessful.

“It’s been a very difficult search especially when the water is murky as it is, it’s extremely difficult next to impossible to see anything so they are relying on feel. They’ve been an awfully long time yesterday and today as well,” said OPP Sgt. Dave Rektor.   

While the Port Stanley pier has notoriously been linked with a number of drownings, this was first water search in the area, in the last 12 years.

Johnston had been studying mechanical engineering at Fanshawe college, and according to his Facebook page, worked at a movie theatre in London.

His mother now hopes he's remembered for the young man that he was, "He was kind and gentle and loving and he would give his shirt off his back to help anybody, " said Josephine.