Search For Missing Fond du Lac Men Ends Well

Monday, June 18, 2007 at 15:22

 

 

Two men from the Fond du Lac First Nation went through a harrowing experience on Lake Athabasca last week.

 

The two men, aged 32 and 44, were reported missing Friday morning after departing in a boat from Stony Rapids to Fond du Lac Thusday afternoon.

 

The local RCMP enlisted the help of Transwest Air. One of the company’s pilots, who was flying a Twin Otter at the time, spotted a capsized boat on the shore and fuel containers in the waters of Lake Athabasca — but there was no sign of the missing men.

 

The RCMP and Civilian Air Search and Rescue were about to begin an air search when a private pilot arriving in Stony Rapids reported seeing two men from the air, both on shore and in good condition.

 

The men and their boat were eventually rescued by RCMP officers, conservation officers and a Fond du Lac boat owner.

 

The RCMP say the cause of the incident was related to mechanical difficulty with the boat’s engine. Apparently, the engine quit and could not be restarted in time to avoid the wave action of the lake. The boat was eventually swamped and drifted ashore.