'Black water' delays river search for boy

Efforts to find the body of a six-year-old boy who fell into the Red River and is presumed drowned won't resume until at least Monday because of dangerous diving conditions, Winnipeg police say.

On Sunday, grieving relatives of Nathaniel Thorassie held a traditional aboriginal ceremony on the banks of the river not far from where he went under.

His father, Daniel Thorassie, told CBC News his son was an energetic kid who liked to explore.

Police divers have been assessing water and ice conditions on the Red near the Disraeli overpass, where Nathaniel and his older brother fell in Saturday afternoon. The older boy was rescued.

Sgt. Rob Riffel, who heads the dive unit, said police divers need stable ice for launching their operations. Ice six to nine centimetres thick along the river's edge is dangerous, he said.

Riffel described the recovery effort as "black water diving," which he said is like working with your eyes closed because of zero visibility.

The unit trains for summer and winter diving, but not for the in-between state the river is in now, police said.

Nathaniel and his 10-year-old brother were playing hockey on the river when they both fell in.

A passerby saw the older boy struggling in the water and fished him out with a rope he had in his vehicle. He is in stable condition in hospital.

Rescue crews worked into Saturday night trying to locate Nathaniel but had to call off the search.