On July 8, 2011, shortly after 5pm, Island Lake RCMP Detachment were contacted by a local Manitoba Conservation officer and advised that a capsized boat with 9 occupants had been located.
The Conservation officer had made the discovery during the course of checking a bush fire, about 2 miles south of Stevenson’s Island on Island Lake. Police say that the 9 occupants had swam to shore. One of the occupants was unresponsive and later declared deceased.
RCMP attended along with Manitoba Conservation Officers. It was determined that the 9 individuals were aboard a Lund boat when the back end of the boat began to take on water and capsized, sending everyone into the water.
It appears the deceased, a 27-year-old man from Garden Hill FN, swam to shore along with everyone else but noted his 25-year-old wife was still struggling to make it to shore. He swam back out to help her but drowned.
The boat operator, a 39-year-old Garden Hill FN man, has been arrested and will face charges of impaired operation of a vessel causing death and impaired operation of a vessel causing bodily harm.
He has since been released to attend court in Garden Hill on August 17, 2011.
One of the boat occupants, an adult female, was medivaced to Winnipeg with non-life threatening injuries. Five individuals were arrested and lodged overnight under the intoxicated persons detentions act. One individual was arrested for failing to comply with his undertaking.
RCMP report that life jackets were not worn and alcohol, along with overcrowding, are considered contributing factors to this drowning.
RCMP continue to investigate.
