The body of a 34-year-old man who drowned in Winnipeg River in January was recovered by Manitoba Search and Rescue Thursday, almost four months after he was killed.
Trevor Bruyere, of Sagkeeng First Nation, was killed when a backhoe he was using to clear a winter road plunged through the ice.
Relatives said he was plowing a winter road to connect the south shore of Sagkeeng to homes and a school nearby, so residents could use it instead of another route that requires a 20-minute trip. Relatives said Bruyere was afraid the ice might be too thin for him to travel on.
His body was located using sonar equipment Thursday morning, after searchers used an air boat to examine shallow areas of water, reported a Manitoba Search and Rescue official.
Finding the body took two days, after dogs sniffed along the river's edge and identified three areas to search.
"The family is very happy and very relieved they have closure," said George Leonard, operations manager of Manitoba Search and Rescue.
"With the searchers and the community members' help, we retrieved him from the water."
Leonard said the search and rescue team was invited into the community by band officials and by grieving family members who lived near the river and wanted the body back for burial.
-- Staff
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