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Day 2 of search for person seen struggling in Grand River called off

A boat with the Kent County Sheriff's Office was out on the water searching Wednesday morning, along with a drone from the Walker Police Department.

WALKER, Mich. — The search for the body of someone who was believed to be struggling in the Grand River wrapped up a second day of searching Wednesday. 

The initial call came in before 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 4000 block of Butterworth Street SW near Johnson Park.

According to fire officials, a kayaker saw a person having trouble in the water and then go under. The person was struggling and calling for help, authorities said.  

The City of Walker and Grand Rapids firefighters responded, as Walker Fire Department requested the help of dive teams from Grand Rapids, Georgetown Twp., along with Kent and Ottawa Counties. 

While agencies from both Kent and Ottawa County searched the river north and south of the Wilson Avenue Bridge, the Walker Police and Grand Rapids fire drone teams searched from above. 

Later on Tuesday, officials said the rescue transitioned into a recovery effort. The search was suspended for the night around 9:30 p.m.

Walker Police said search efforts will likely resume tomorrow, and if they don't find anything, will continue into the weekend. 

Authorities said if boaters in the water see something in the river, they should call 911 and remain nearby to show first responders the area needing to be checked. 

Since becoming a recovery effort, the Kent County Sheriff's Office dive team has taken the lead. A boat with the sheriff's office was seen searching Wednesday morning, along with a drone from the Walker Police Department.

Crews called off the search Wednesday afternoon. 

Officials have not yet released information regarding who they are looking for and the gender of the person believed to be in the water.

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