The body of a seven-year-old girl who went missing in London’s Thames River has been recovered by search teams near the campus of Western University, police say.
The girl, identified by friends and family as Anna Bielli, went missing on Thursday along the river near Adelaide Street and Kipps Lane, prompting a large-scale search and rescue effort involving boats, divers, and a police helicopter.
In a statement, police said the girl’s remains were located in the river near Perth and University drives at around 1 p.m. Sunday, more than three kilometres from where she had been last seen.
“The remains are believed to be in relation to the ongoing missing person investigation from Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024,” read the statement, which did not identify the victim.
“Prayers really moved heavens. They finally found my sweet Angel. Praise the Lord God,” Bielli’s mother, Karen Fermill, said in a post on Facebook early Sunday afternoon.
“London police would like to thank the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) along with London Search and Rescue (LSAR), Huron County Search and Rescue (HSAR), the London Fire Department and all volunteers who assisted in co-ordinating the response and search efforts in this investigation,” police said in the release, adding that they will be assisting the Chief Coroner’s office.
The multi-day search for Bielli began around 3 p.m. on Thursday, the day she went missing.
Rescue crews had received a report from the girl’s mother that the child had entered the water east of the Adelaide Street bridge and was then seen struggling, fire officials said.
FULL STORY: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/anna-bielli-search-resumes-1.7285149
