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Man, 22, missing after boat capsizes

By: Kevin Rollason

Posted: 05/16/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Dillon Beaulieu

Lake Manitoba has already claimed one cousin and relatives are holding out hope it doesn't claim another.

Dillon Beaulieu, 22, was one of two men from Sandy Bay First Nation out on the shallow lake on Monday night when, within minutes, hurricane-force winds blew up, creating large waves and capsizing a small fishing boat on the water east of Langruth.

Rambo Roulette, 25, was able to get to shore. Beaulieu wasn't.

Throughout Monday night and all day on Tuesday, searchers on water and land looked for Beaulieu but still hadn't located him by last night. Roulette was taken to Portage General Hospital, where he was treated and released.

Russell Beaulieu, Dillon's uncle, said family members aren't sure why he was out on the water.

"He's not a fisherman," Russell said.

"Dillon didn't have much to do with water, like swimming... He was on the boat with Rambo, but it wasn't even his (Rambo's fishing) outfit either. It was Jamie Roulette's and he was standing on shore.

"He was the one who raised the alarm. We're still optimistic but hopes are diminishing."

Russell said despite a search on land, water and air, neither Dillon nor the fishing boat had been found.

"The RCMP are turning away people who want to search," he said. "We were calling on people to go out there with quads and boats, but the police are limiting the access to the lake."

Russell said RCMP handled the search for Blaine Starr -- Dillon's cousin -- in March 2011 the same way.

Starr and three other men were fishing on the frozen lake and were returning in Bombardiers when they got caught in a sudden blinding winter storm. The Bombardier Starr was in got stuck in a large crack offshore and three hours later, Starr decided to walk through the storm to get help.

Starr's frozen body was found later.

Francine, Dillon's sister, said she wants people living along the southern basin of Lake Manitoba to look for her brother.

"We still have hope," she said earlier on Tuesday. "We don't know if he made it to shore or not. The other guy said Dillon was yelling and struggling in the water somewhat closer to the shore. So we have to have hope."

Francine said the two men were pulling in their fishing nets when a severe storm rolled in with winds creating high waves that tossed the small aluminum boat over. She said neither man was wearing a life-jacket.

"Young boys to old people... everyone is looking," she said earlier Tuesday, adding more than 100 people were searching. "Everyone with a quad is out there."

Russell said some searchers "haven't slept a wink all night."

Russell said because Dillon's dad is the director of education at the reserve's school, it was closed Tuesday.

"Dillon is a nice young man," Russell said. "He was a former DJ here at the radio station. He called his show Chillin' with Dillon. He is well-liked."

Central Plains RCMP said Amaranth RCMP received a report on Monday at 8 p.m. that a small boat had overturned on Lake Manitoba.

RCMP said a Hercules plane was dispatched from CFB Winnipeg to search the lake. A rescue boat from the Ebb and Flow First Nation Fire Department also helped.

RCMP have been patrolling the waterfront near roads 95 and 96.

"The efforts are still ongoing," Central Plains RCMP Const. Shannon Neff said late on Tuesday afternoon.

-- with files from Jason Bell

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 16, 2012 0

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