A Nov. 4 boating trip by four young members of the Garden Hill First Nation, about 300 kilometres southeast of Thompson, ended in tragedy with three of the four boaters drowning in the Island Lake River at Pelican Rapids.
On Nov. 15 around 1:30 p.m., a volunteer searcher from St. Theresa Point located the body of the last missing boater, 21-year-old Kirk Keno of Garden Hill First Nation.
The body of 15-year-old Sheyenne Keno was recovered Nov. 13 shortly after 1 p.m., and less than 24 hours after 15-year-old Jordan Day's body was recovered Nov. 12 around 4 p.m.
Both of those bodies were also recovered by volunteers from St. Theresa Point First Nation in the Island Lake River in proximity of where the boat got stuck at Pelican Rapids. The water is estimated as 60 feet deep in the area, RCMP say, and deteriorating weather conditions as winter sets in slowed search efforts down, making "making conditions very poor," says Sgt. Line Karpish, an RCMP "D" Division media spokesperson based in Winnipeg.
"RCMP members along with volunteers have been relentlessly searching for the missing boaters since they were reported missing," Karpish said Nov. 15. "This concludes the search for the four missing boaters. The RCMP Island Lake members would like to extend sincere thanks to everyone who provided assistance in the search."
The four boaters - two 21 years olds and two 15 year olds - disappeared Nov. 4 around 7 p.m., heading to Wasagamack by boat. Wasagamack First Nation is located on the western shore of Island Lake about 12 kilometres north of St. Theresa Point and 281 kilometres southeast of Thompson.
Due to lack of daylight, the RCMP initiated a search the following morning by chartered helicopter, RCMP and boats with the assistance of many local residents to search for the missing boaters.
Police discovered the boat empty and stuck in rapids on Island Lake River at Pelican Rapids, about a 45-minute boat ride north of Garden Hill. Shortly after the boat was discovered, 21-year-old Patrick Day was found alive nearby in the snow with no shoes on after he had swam to the shore. He was airlifted to the Garden Hill nursing station with non-life threatening injuries.
Day reportedly heard his friends screaming but couldn't do anything to help them.
Day spent two days and two nights in a makeshift shelter without food, shoes or dry clothes before he was found.
As many as 250 volunteers have joined in the search and have set up a camp near the rapids.
Garden Hill First Nation, an Oji-Cree-speaking community, is located on Island Lake and comprises about 18,180 acres. It only accessible in summer and fall by boat from Island Lake and Cochrane Bay, or by air, and in the spring and winter by air or ice road.
