Second body recovered from Grand River, search called off for missing women

The search for two missing women has ended after a second body was found on the banks of the Grand River in Paris, Ont.

Waterloo Regional Police said it was discovered Tuesday, at around 4:30 p.m., near Willow Street.

Her identity, along with that of a second woman found in the Grand River on Monday, has not yet been confirmed.

Rescue efforts began at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday after someone reported two people in distress on the Grand River, near King Street East, in Kitchener, Ont.

“A witness described two individuals going over the dam and calling out for help,” Insp. Matt Halliday with the Waterloo Regional Police Service said Tuesday. “The witness did not see the two boaters resurface.”

Grand River near King Street East and River Road East in Kitchener on July 15, 2024. (Dan Lauckner/CTV News)

The pair were last seen on a floatie.

“This device was observed deflated in the churning water. Based on the information gathered, we do not believe they were wearing life jackets at the time,” said Halliday.

On Monday evening, two days after the women went missing, teams were seen searching about six kilometres down the Grand River from where they were last seen.

Police later confirmed that a woman’s body had been spotted by an OPP helicopter near Old Mill Road at around 6 p.m.

Environmental factors complicated the rescue efforts as heavy rain moved through the area on Sunday and Tuesday.