Thompson RCMP teamed up with conservation officers and Paint Lake park patrol personnel to locate two stranded boaters July 10.
Because swampy terrain prevented RCMP from reaching the area where the men were stranded via a snowmobile trail, they and the other rescuers had to hike over a beaver dam and hike through the bush for about three kilometres. After that, they used two canoes, another boat and paddles and crossed an unnamed lake to the stranded boaters, aged 51 and 55, who were both in good health.
Police were notified of the stranded boaters around 10:30 p.m. Saturday night. The men had lost the boat they used to get to their camp on the lake about three kilometres east of Highway 6 and 53 kilometres south of Thompson.
The group recrossed the lake and walked back to Highway 6.
“You can’t get much more Canadian than this rescue, with beaver dams, canoes, and Mounties,” said Thompson RCMP detachment commander Insp.Chris Hastie in a news release. “In all seriousness, though, this rescue highlights the unique demands placed on officers who work in Manitoba’s north. I am very glad we were able to get there and assist the stranded boaters and that everyone got home safely. I would also like to thank our policing partners – Manitoba Conservation and Park Patrol – for providing operational support and local knowledge in traversing this rough wilderness. Help is there when we need it so that we can help others.”
