Jessica Lloyd has been missing since Thursday night under suspicious circumstances, say police in Belleville, Ont. (Facebook)

The Ontario Provincial Police took to the air Sunday as they ramped up their search for a Belleville woman who was last heard from on Thursday.

The OPP deployed a helicopter over the Belleville area to look for Jessica Elizabeth Lloyd, 27, who disappeared under what police consider to be suspicious circumstances.

A family friend received a text message from Lloyd's cellphone at 10:36 p.m. Thursday night. Lloyd didn’t show up for work Friday, and her family told police it is "out of character" for her to be out of contact.

Family and friends have also said her purse and identification are still in her apartment.

Police have not revealed the contents of the text message that was sent on Thursday.

The OPP, Belleville police and Stirling-Rawdon police continued their ground search on Sunday. The previous day, authorities combed the area near Highway 37 and Harmony Road.

A search and rescue team from CFB Trenton, meanwhile, conducted a separate search for Lloyd on Saturday night, OPP said in a Sunday news release.

'Trying to stay positive'

Lloyd's older brother Andy Lloyd, meanwhile, praised the community in Belleville for coming together to support his family. Residents of the town have organized search parties to look for her, he said.

"We're doing OK, considering," he said, speaking about the toll his sister's disappearance has taken on the family. "We're just trying to stay busy and trying to stay positive."

A Facebook group dedicated to finding Jessica Lloyd had almost 12,000 members by Sunday morning.

Andy Lloyd told CBC News she's "very outgoing."

"[She has a] great sense of humour — she's very funny and very sociable."

Police said Jessica Lloyd is five feet, five inches tall, and weighs around 125 pounds. She has green eyes, dark brown shoulder length hair and a tattoo of an intricate "L" that spans the width of her lower back. Police said she may be wearing a green and white ski jacket.

When asked if he had a message for his sister, Andy Lloyd said: "Just come home safe. Please."

Investigators have asked anyone with information on Lloyd’s whereabouts to contact the Belleville Police Service at 613-966-0882.