An email from LaSalle Deputy Police Chief Dan Fantetti posted on the police service’s Facebook page shows officers were on a wild goose chase responding to a distress call last week.

LaSalle police responded to the area of Morton Dr. west of Malden Rd. in LaSalle late in the evening on April 29 for a 911 call, but couldn’t find anyone in distress in the area. An extensive search was carried out, involving many resources, including help from Windsor police as well as an aerial search by RCMP Search and Rescue.

The email from Deputy Chief Fantetti thanks officers for their work and “continued perseverance during this difficult and frustrating call.”

In the email, Fantetti goes on to say “though it turned out to be a hoax, it is very rewarding to everyone involved police, fire, and civilian to know that we never gave up, we exhausted all avenues, and continued to work together for almost 24 hours as a team in order to confirm that there was no victim in distress.”