Search for missing fisherman feared swept away by 'ice surge'

A Saugeen Shores police officer cruised Southampton, Ont.’s pier on Monday looking for any sign of Lijun.

The fisherman was last heard from Saturday morning, and it’s feared he was swept into the fast moving Saugeen River following an "ice surge."

Lijun is described by police as 57 years old, 5'7" tall, weighing 155 lbs, with black hair and brown eyes. 

Other fisherman who were fishing between Denny’s Dam and the mouth of the Saugeen River in Southampton at that time reported a surge in water, as high as four feet, believed to be from an ice jam letting go upstream.

The Saugeen Shores Police Service said at least two other fishermen were swept into the river that morning. Both were able to get out on their own, as one person grabbed hold of a tree branch, while the other was pulled ashore by his children, according to police.

The Saugeen River near Southampton, Ont. is seen on Jan. 29, 2024. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

While no one saw Lijun get swept away, it’s what emergency officials fear happened.

They’re warning fisherman and hikers to keep their distance from the freezing, fast moving water, and the precarious shoreline.

Following a weekend of searching for Lijun via ground and air, the search was scaled back on Monday, as police asked anyone living along the shores of the Saugeen River downstream of Denny’s Dam, or along the shores of Lake Huron, to report if they find any clothing or potential belongings of Lijun.

The Saugeen River near Southampton, Ont. is seen on Jan. 29, 2024. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

Just last week, Kevin Martin of the South Bruce OPP warned residents of the ice shelves forming along the shores of Lake Huron.

Now, a fisherman appears to have been lost to the icy waters of the Saugeen River, following a build up of ice, and culminating into a dangerous surge of water and sheet ice downstream. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Saugeen Shores Police Service at 519-832-2500.