Wood Buffalo RCMP have confirmed one man is dead, while the search continues for another man after both went missing on a canoe trip.
On May 21, 2022, at 12:15 p.m., emergency crews responded to a call from a group of six canoers and a kayaker on Ellis River, north of Fort MacKay.
According to RCMP, the group said they lost sight of two men paddling in a red 16-foot canoe.
Search and Rescue teams with STARS Air Ambulance, Syncrude, and HERO joined RCMP in the search for an 80-year-old man and a 45-year-old man, both from Fort McMurray.
At approximately 4:15 p.m., searchers located the body of the 80-year-old along with the overturned red canoe.
With assistance from Civil Air Search and Rescue (CASARA) from Edmonton, Alta., officials expanded the search along the Athabasca River for the 45-year-old.
Police say the man was wearing an orange personal flotation device.
Anyone who may have seen the missing boater, between May 21-23, is asked to contact Wood Buffalo RCMP.
With Files from the Canadian Press.
