Lac du Bonnet RCMP are investigating the death of a 49-year-old boater was recently found in the Whiteshell River, north of Jessica Lake.
On August 30, 2019, at 10:30am, Lac du Bonnet RCMP responded to a call of a missing boater on the Whiteshell River.
Initial police investigation has determined that a 49-year-old man was harvesting wild rice in an air boat on the Whiteshell River, approximately five kilometres north of Jessica Lake, when he failed to return to his camp. Another harvester in a second boat set out from the main camp to locate the man when he came upon the submerged air boat in about 15 feet of water. He searched the surrounding area but could not locate the missing man and called the RCMP for assistance.
Upon arrival at the scene, Lac du Bonnet RCMP and Sustainable Development Manitoba along with private boats searched the shoreline and the water but could not locate the missing male. On August 31, the Manitoba RCMP and Sustainable Development Manitoba returned to the location with boats and drones to search the water and shoreline. The Hutterian Emergency Aquatic Response Team (HEART) also arrived on scene to aid in locating the missing boater.
RCMP report that at approximately 10:30am, HEART located the deceased male in the water with an underwater camera. His body has since been recovered by the RCMP.
