Residents organizing ground search in Kitchener for missing 25-year-old
Posted Dec 3, 2025 03:29:18 PM.
Last Updated Dec 3, 2025 03:40:18 PM.
The investigation into the disappearance of a 25-year-old continues, and on Sunday, a team of residents plan on gathering to perform a ground search near the Grand River.
In November, regional police said that they were investigating the suspicious disappearance of 25-year-old Eli Wood, a Kitchener resident who’s been missing since a house fire that torched their apartment on Oct. 19.
Emergency crews arrived at their apartment on Major Street in Kitchener at around 6 a.m. to find the rear of the home ablaze. When crews entered, they reportedly found Wood’s service dog dead, but no sign of the 25-year-old.
In the weeks since the incident, police have shared details about their investigation, including the fact that they believe arson was the cause of the house fire and that they suspect foul play was involved in Wood’s disappearance.
On Sunday, a group of residents are organizing their own search effort, set to take place along the Grand River.
“This search is being led by a community group, and is fully supported by the generosity of community in the KW region,” reads the registration form for the ground search.
Dozens of residents have signed on to aid in the search after learning about it through social media, where discussion about the circumstances surrounding Wood’s disappearance continues daily.
The group plans on meeting at 326 Riverbend Dr., an area northeast of Wood’s apartment along the Grand River, and is asking folks to bring weather-appropriate gear as the areas they plan on searching are snow-covered.
The search is also being supported by Response Tactics International, a training and certification outfit based just outside of Orangeville, Ont.
The Waterloo Regional Police Service is also continuing their investigation, and asking anyone with information on Wood’s whereabouts to contact investigators at 519-570-9777 ext. 8191 or to leave an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers.
