Police and firefighters were called to the Grand River on Tuesday afternoon after receiving a report of a possible missing person.

Waterloo Regional Police say the search began when someone driving down Sawmill Road thought she saw a person and empty canoe in the river, then called 911.

“She described the person as a male with a red T-shirt,” says Sgt. Peter Viol.

Firefighters from Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, St. Jacobs and Conestogo were called to the river along with police.

An empty canoe was found nearby, but the canoe's owner is accounted for and police say the canoe is unrelated to the case.

Officials have been stationed at every vantage point between Conestoga Golf & Country Club and Lancaster Street in Kitchener.

The river currently has a stronger than usual current due to recent rainfall.

Police say this also makes search efforts difficult.

“The river is quite fast-flowing and the colour is quite dark,” says Viol.

“From the banks, you can’t see anything below the surface.”

Viol says the search will continue until a person is found or it is concluded that there is nothing to find.