On March 15, 2010, at about 8:30am, Poplar River RCMP received a call from a commercial carrier that one of their truck drivers had not returned when expected from St. Theresa Point FN.
RCMP learned that the 52-year-old truck driver and resident of Selkirk, had departed St. Theresa Point on the evening of March 12, 2010, traveling south and had not made it to Winnipeg nor had he returned to St. Theresa Point FN when expected back on March 14, 2010.
RCMP were advised that a brief contact had been made with the driver, who indicated he was stuck in the mud due to thawing winter roads. He had no food. The driver had a medical condition, he feared for his life and needed help. Company employees learned that he was on the North side of Wrong Lake. Wrong Lake is located on the winter road system connecting St. Theresa’s Point IR and Bloodvein FN Communication was severed with the driver and no other contact made since his initial Satellite phone call early morning on March 14, 2010.
As of the morning of March 15, 2010, when the RCMP Poplar River Detachment was contacted, no other communication was made with the driver. The driver was believed to have become separated from a convoy of truck drivers on the winter road and his condition was now unknown.
RCMP Poplar River Detachment members contacted the RCMP Plane who was flying in the area and requested assistance. The RCMP Pilot completed a sweep of Wrong Lake and confirmed locating a lone semi truck with a flatbed (with a semi on the flat bed) between 2-3 nautical miles north of Wrong Lake. The RCMP pilot confirmed that a person did wave as the police plane passed by the second time also confirmed that there were several other semi trucks stuck on the south side of Wrong Lake and that they had a fire going near Thunderbird Lodge.
Since there is nowhere to land a plane in that area, RCMP chartered a helicopter to retrieve the driver with a Nurse and RCMP officer from Bloodvein FN with food and water on board. At 2pm, the truck driver was found safe and otherwise in good health. He was transported to safety to Bloodvein FN where arrangements were made to fly him home.
There were no immediate safety concerns for the remainder of the semi truck drivers stuck on the south side of Wrong Lake and company officials were making arrangements to send assistance to those drivers.
Sgt. Tom Cooney
RCMP Selkirk Inland / Poplar River Det.
(204)482-9676
