RIVER HUNT
Police searching for missing boy, 2, who fell in River Soar urge dog walker seen near water to come forward
The toddler's dad had heroically jumped into the fast-flowing river to try to rescue his son
POLICE searching for a two-year-old boy who fell into a fast-flowing river have appealed for a dog walker to come forward.
The toddler was out with his family near the flooded River Soar in Leicester when the horror unfolded.
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A huge search operation is ongoing two days on from the tragic incident as specialist teams scour the water and flooded fields nearby.
Leicestershire Police have now appealed for anyone who was near the river in the Aylestone Meadows area on Sunday at around 5pm to get in touch.
They are also urging a dog walker who was seen on the footpath near the Packhorse Bridge to come forward.
The force said: "We know a number of people spoke to officers at the scene across the past day providing information.
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"In order to ensure we have the full details of everyone who has spoken to us, we are asking that those people make further contact with the police so this can be checked.
"From our ongoing enquiries, we are also aware a dog walker was walking along the footpath near the Packhorse Bridge in the area at around 5pm yesterday (Sunday).
"If this was you, we also ask that you please make contact with us as you may have information which could help us."
The boy's hero dad jumped into the river in a desperate attempt to rescue his son on Sunday evening.
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He was taken to hospital as a precaution while the search for the toddler continues into its second full day today.
The public have been urged to keep away from the water to allow specialist teams to do their job.
Extra police and emergency resources have been drafted in to help the search.
Inside difficult search for missing toddler in fast flowing River Soar
Assistant Chief Constable Michaela Kerr confirmed Leicestershire Police have reinforced their resources in order to find the child.
She said: "I'd like to reiterate that we've got all the specialist resources that you would want in a case like this.
";Our absolute priority it to find that little boy and return him to his family."
ACC Kerr said cops are using specialist divers within the river and a helicopter equipped with aerial technology.
She asked members of the public to refrain from coming to the area to help for their own safety.
ACC Kerr continued: "We wouldn't want anything to jeopardise the best opportunity we've got of locating this little boy."
She also said river levels and recent heavy rainfall has resulted in extremely difficult search conditions.
ACC Kerr said: "That's one of the reasons why it's so important to us that we don't have members of the public attempting any search, because it does require real skill in order to do so safely.
"I am confident we will find him. We are doing everything we possibly can."
Declining to comment on how the boy had come to enter the water, ACC Kerr added: "We are still in the very early stages of the actual investigation into the circumstances.
";So it would be inappropriate of me to actually talk about the event itself.
"Our absolute priority is to find that little boy and return him to his family."
Specialist teams were deployed to the area yesterday evening, including Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, and the operation continued overnight with force units using night vision goggles searching the area.
The National Police Air Service (NPAS) and drone unit also supported officers on the ground.
On Monday, police dogs and specialist diving teams from Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire are supporting Leicestershire officers as the search continues at the scene.
Assistant Chief Constable Michaela Kerr, who is leading the policing operation, said: “Thank you to everyone who continues to support us during our ongoing search.
“Specialist officers remain in the area and will continue the search throughout the evening. If anyone has any information which may assist us, they are urged to get in touch.”
Anyone with information can call police on 101 quoting incident 476 of 18 February.
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