One man from Sandy Bay First Nation is dead and another is missing according to RCMP, who said the two men had launched a boat but had become stranded.
In a release, Treherne RCMP said they got a call for assistance at about 8:00 in the evening on May 8 from the Sandy Bay Fire Department after a boat became stranded on Lake Manitoba. They were told a 41-year-old male and a 22-year-old male, both from Sandy Bay First Nation, had launched a boat from behind the water treatment plant in the community earlier in the day.
A combination of high winds and a boat malfunction worked against the two men in the boat, and those same high winds prevented Sandy Bay Fire Department from launching their own boat to rescue them. Not long after, a bystander said the two men tried to swim to shore.
According to police men were last seen in the water southeast of Halls Beach, approximately 200 meters from shore. Neither of the men were wearing life jackets.
Underwater Recovery Teams from both the Manitoba RCMP and the Saskatchewan RCMP are involved in a search, assisted by the Manitoba First Nation Police Service and the Sandy Bay Fire Department.
At about 9:00 am today, the body of the 22-year-old male was located deceased on shore.
The search for the 41-year-old male continues.
