Missing 3-year-old boy found dead in Mississauga creek: police
A three-year-old boy has been found dead in a Mississauga creek a day after he was reported missing, Peel police say.
The body of boy, named Zaid, was found in the water at about 5:40 p.m. on Friday.
Zaid was last seen in Erindale Park at about 6:20 p.m. Thursday. He was in the popular park with his parents when he wandered off, police said. Police described him on Thursday as "vulnerable" and possibly non-verbal.
"They were enjoying their time in the park and this is the end result," he said.
Police said officers searched by air and on ground, and as night fell, brought in marine and dive teams and received help from firefighters. Community members also helped with the search.
Supt. Josh Colley, of Peel Regional Police, said police are treating the death as "a tragedy."
"His family has since been notified and we're working to provide them as much support as necessary during this horrific time," Colley said.
"We understand the profound impact on our community that this has had and we want to thank everyone who's come forward from the community to offer their assistance with searching over the last 24 hours and our first responders. As you can imagine, this has a deep impact on everybody involved."
The coroner was at the scene on Friday evening.
Police have asked people to respect the family's privacy.
Anyone who has footage or saw Zaid walk toward the water is asked to contact police.
