On June 8, Green Lake RCMP responded to a call at Smoothstone Lake east of Dore Lake after receiving a report of a missing canoeist. Two friends were camping in the area and one, a 27-year-old male from Calgary, left the campsite at approximately 3 p.m. to go fishing from a canoe. He did not return and a local fisherman discovered his canoe submerged in the middle of the lake.

He was not wearing a lifejacket when he departed the camp and the wind increased a great deal while he was gone.

RCMP and Saskatchewan Conservation Officers checked the shores and any place he may have reached land. Patrols have been made on the water using sonar and all shorelines of the lake have been searched several times. An aerial search was conducted by CASARA and ATV patrols have been made up and down the local roads. The RCMP Under Water Recovery Team attended to the area and made additional water patrols, all with negative results. Emergency Management Fire Services, Big River and Meadow Lake Search and Rescue teams assisted in shore line searches with boats and drones.

Thus far, attempts to locate the canoeist have been unsuccessful and, at this time, he is presumed drowned.

The RCMP has been in contact with the missing man’s family and has been updating them on the search to date.

The search continued yesterday (June 12) and into today on the water and along the shores lines.