The search for the missing seven-year-old boy on the Vancouver Island community of Tofino appeared to be switching seaward Sunday as divers equipped with infrared technology were joined by a Canadian Forces Cormorant helicopter.

Over the weekend, about 200 people combed the beach at Duffin Cove where American William Pilkenton was last seen playing on Friday at around that 10 a.m., raising speculation that he may have wandered off or been swept out to sea.

William Pilkenton, a seven-year-old boy from Washington state, was last seen playing on a rocky beach near Tofino, B.C., on Friday morning.
(Canadian Press)

But the ground search seemed to be winding down on Sunday afternoon as rescue teams focused on the frigid water off Vancouver Island's west coast.

A Cormorant helicopter carrying spotters from Comox, B.C., was expected to fly over the ocean where divers using sonar equipment are already searching for the missing boy.

Tofino Mayor John Fraser said news that the boy had gone missing while his father's back was turned on Friday has galvanized the scenic Tofino area. "Everyone is very emotional here, it's a small town,'' he said.

"To come to some place on a visit and lose one of your family would be just tragic,'' he said.

On Friday, the boy and his father, David Pilkenton, who are from Bellingham, Wash., were walking along the shore of Duffin Cove near a bed and breakfast where the family was staying. The man said he left his son for a moment and when he returned, the boy was missing.

Police said the boy has Attention Deficit Disorder but received his medication before he disappeared on Friday.

On Saturday, RCMP Const. Susan Boyes said a trained search and rescue team and volunteers had been searching the town, including parks and backyards. There are fears the boy had either been swept out to sea or wandered into nearby woods.

An RCMP dog team brought in Friday night searched again on Saturday.

William was wearing just a light jacket and temperatures dipped below zero on the weekend, but police said they're still holding out hope that he's alive.

Boyes said word about the boy's disappearance spread quickly in the community.

"There is a lot of support," she said. "A lot of people are coming out to assist in whatever capacity they can."

Police said they were still treating the case as a search and rescue effort and do not suspect foul play.

"[The search] will be continually reassessed as the day goes on, but right now we're in full force and full rescue mode," Boyes told CBC Newsworld earlier on Saturday.