Body found in Ottawa River where kayaker went missing: OPP

Helicopters could be seen flying over a stretch of the Ottawa River near Pembroke, Ont. after a woman went missing while kayaking. Sept. 18, 2024. (Dylan Dyson/CTV News Ottawa)

A body has been found in the vicinity where a woman went missing on the Ottawa River near Pembroke, Ont. while kayaking Tuesday night, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

The body was found Saturday at around 1 p.m.

"(Police) have located a body in the Ottawa River in the vicinity of where the missing kayaker was last observed. ID of body has not been confirmed. Post-mortem to follow, drowning is the suspected cause of death. The investigation is continuing," the OPP said on X Saturday. 

The search started Wednesday morning. 

The OPP and its Underwater Search and Recovery Unit (USRU) and Sûreté du Québec marine units continued to search for the 30-year-old woman, focusing on a stretch of the Ottawa River between Beckett and Morrison islands, which locals say is a dangerous spot.

"It can be a quite snaky and it's very rocky. And it all depends on what the water level is like," said Marc Robillard. "You don't go down there with boats. I mean you could ride a kayak, if you’re an experienced kayaker, I’d imagine."

The woman went out in a two-person kayak that had capsized Tuesday night near the the Highway-148 bridge to Allumette Island.

The woman and a 34-year-old man were not wearing life jackets at the time the kayak capsized. The man was rescued by police, with the assistance of residents in the area.

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Dylan Dyson