The body of an 11-year-old girl who fell into a swollen spillway near the Woodland Hutterite Colony has been found.

The 11-year-old girl, Jodi Hofer, was playing with other children near the spillway when she fell into the water. RCMP are investigating the drowning and said they responded to the call around 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

Jodi was trying to cross the spillway with another girl, said Jodi's aunt, Judy Hofer.

There's a concrete bridge over the spillway but it was under water, Judy said.

The other girl was a better swimmer and was able to get herself to the shore where another boy pulled her out, Judy said.

Jodi doesn't swim well, she said.

"The current was bad… the water was so fast there," Judy said.

Jodi disappeared, she said.

"We're very sad, very sad," she said. "She was a nice girl."

RCMP said officers, emergency response personnel and volunteers were searching for the girl over night.

The community is about 18 kilometres north of Portage la Prairie.

RCMP said the body of the missing girl was found around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

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