A missing Saskatoon woman and her seven-year-old son have been found safe, according to police.
Dawn Walker, 48, and her son were reported missing on July 24. Her truck and some belongings were found the next morning in Chief Whitecap Park, where she may have been fishing.
Since the discovery, police and volunteers have searched the park and the adjacent South Saskatchewan River for any sign of Walker or her son.
In a news release, the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) said Waker and her son were located in Oregon City, Oregon around 11:30 a.m. Friday.
“Both are reported to be safe and well,” SPS said.
“Agency officials are currently working out the details of arranging their return to Canada.”
Walker was found with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, SPS said.
According to police, the couple entered the U.S. illegally and were located with the help of multiple agencies and the Oregon State Police.
“U.S. authorities are considering the consequences and possible actions as a result of illegal entry into the U.S.,” SPS said.
“Dawn Walker will be flown back to Saskatoon to meet with investigators. US agency officials in consultation with SPS are currently working out the details of returning (her son) to a legal guardian,” the news release said.
In a statement to CTV News, the boy’s father said he was “devastated” and was working to get his son back to Saskatoon.
“(I) would like to thank everyone for their support and prayers and thank the Saskatoon Police Service for the hard work and thorough investigation that led to his return,” he said.
In a message posted on Facebook, Walker’s sister Patricia Dorian shared her gratitude to those who helped search for Walker and her son.
“From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank everyone for supporting my family in the search.
Before she was reported missing, Walker was last seen around 6 p.m. Friday, July 22, at a business in the 300 block of Owen Manor in Brighton Township, according to police.
The search for Walker has largely focused on the South Saskatchewan River, which runs through the park, where her truck and belongings were found.
In addition to the extensive ground search, police and volunteers searched for signs of Walker and her son by air and sonar-equipped boat.
Diving teams also assisted in the search for the mother and son.
Walker is a long-time official of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN).
The organization was to announce a reward for information that would help locate Walker and her son.
A press conference scheduled for 10 a.m., where the award was expected to be announced, was abruptly canceled Friday morning.
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