MILTON -- The bodies of a man and his four-year-old daughter were found at the base of an escarpment in southwestern Ontario and showed injuries "consistent with a fall," police said Monday.
Halton regional police said the father and daughter, whose identities were not released, had gone for a hike at Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area in Milton, Ont., around 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
"It's not the outcome we were looking for, it's the outcome we were dreading," said Const. Ryan Anderson. "There (was) significant trauma on the victims that could be consistent with a fall."
The deaths, which police have called "an unimaginable tragedy," are not considered homicides "at this point," he said.
Police initiated a massive search for the pair after being called around 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Anderson said.
He said police were concerned due to the weather, the time of day, the difficult terrain and a large search area.
A mix of rain and snow blanketed the region Sunday.
The force's search incident response team found the bodies just after 11 p.m.
Halton's homicide squad has taken over the investigation, but Anderson said the unit probes every death of a child under five years old.
He said the bodies were removed by Milton firefighters early Monday morning.
Post-mortem examinations will be conducted, Anderson said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 10, 2020.
