An RCMP Underwater Recovery Team will continue their search for a 32-year-old Trail man in Little Wilson Lake Sunday.
The team was waiting on sonar equipment to scour the bottom of the lake, located near New Denver, in search for Michael Guthrie who went missing May 25.“The paddles the pair were using to propel the canoe were found floating in the lake on Wednesday, however, no other items have been recovered to date,” Sgt. Darryl Little of the Kootenay Boundary Regional Detachment said in a press release Friday.The Slocan Lake RCMP attended the scene on May 25 and spoke with two Trail men who were camping with Guthrie. It was determined that Guthrie had been fishing with one of the men in a canoe, according to Nakusp/Slocan Lake RCMP Cpl. Ryan Fehr.
“The canoe capsized and both men entered the water; one was able to swim to shore (while) the other is presumed drowned," he explained in a press release.
“Neither were wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) at the time, nor was there a PFD or safety equipment in the canoe,” he added. “Alcohol is also believed to have been a factor in this incident."
The search was put on hold until the sonar equipment was tested before used at the lake, a must for the high-alpine location.The lake is approximately 63 acres in size with an average depth of 39 feet, with areas over 80 feet in depth.