The search for six-year-old Johnson Redhead has come to a heartbreaking end.
"It is with great sadness that we share the following information on the search for Johnson Redhead," the Manitoba RCMP said in a news release late Sunday evening. RCMP say that the young boy's body was found at around 7:45 p.m. in a marshy area, approximately 3.5 kilometres from the school where he was last seen.
Johnson had been missing since Wednesday afternoon in Shamattawa, Man., sparking a large-scale search that involved community members, RCMP officers, and multiple search and rescue teams from across the province.
The Shamattawa RCMP first received a report of the missing boy at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday after he attended his school’s breakfast program but did not return to class. From that moment, the search intensified, involving resources like drones, police service dogs, and a helicopter.
Teams from Manto Sipi Cree Nation, Pimicikamak Cree Nation, Tataskweyak Cree Nation, and Winnipeg Search and Rescue were among those assisting in the effort.
"This search has not stopped in intensity from the moment we received the report up to the present," Sergeant Mark Svaren, Shamattawa RCMP Detachment Commander, said in an earlier statement.
The RCMP extended their condolences to Johnson's family and everyone affected by this devastating loss.
Shamattawa is located approximately 745 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.