Body of missing man at Countryfest discovered in creek

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This article was published 03/07/2018 (2800 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The search for a Winnipeg man who vanished from Dauphin Countryfest ended with the discovery of his body Tuesday night.

“Danny Berhie Kidane has been located deceased in the creek near the festival site. An autopsy will be conducted. The investigation continues,” an RCMP person said in a statement.

Kidane, 24, vanished from the festival grounds Saturday afternoon. His friends last saw him around 3 p.m. and reported him missing Sunday morning when he didn’t show up at their campsite.

The death was confirmed by his brother, Haben Kidane.

“Today is officially the worst day of my life… Tell your family how much you love them because you never know when they might leave you,” Haben Kidane wrote on social media.

Earlier Tuesday, RCMP announced the search for Kidane had expanded into Riding Mountain National Park.

Kidane was enjoying a long weekend filled with country music and good times with friends when he disappeared from the festival grounds, leaving behind his wallet and cellphone.

A small plane and helicopter were part of the search effort on Monday, which included 50 people and a K-9 unit, RCMP spokesman Sgt. Paul Manaigre said Tuesday.

Kidane reportedly got separated from his friends at around 3 p.m. on Saturday, and was last seen in a shallow creek that festival-goers wade into for relief from the heat.

Given that it’s a large festival where alcohol is consumed, it’s not unusual for people to get separated or disappear for a few hours, said Bill Gade, owner of CJ Radio in Swan River, which has a presence at the annual festival.

When Kidane hadn’t returned to the campsite by Sunday morning, his friends contacted RCMP.

“There was no grave concern Saturday, but on Sunday — I won’t say panic, but (festival) security certainly did a very thorough search for him Sunday night. In all the time I’ve been involved with Countryfest, no one has ever gone missing for this long,” Gade said.

“An hour or two, a few hours, sure, but you don’t have someone missing for 24 hours like that. It’s just unheard of. It’s so strange to me that he just disappeared like that.”

Ann Ransom, the festival’s president, confirmed it’s the first time RCMP search and rescue has been called to the site.

She said organizers showed Kidane’s picture on the mainstage twice Sunday night, to make sure festival-goers were aware he was missing. His photo was also held up at the gates when people cleared out at the end of the weekend.

“This year, we had 160 security staff on site. All our entrances have checkpoints. The two main entrances, where you can drive onto the site, are both controlled,” Ransom said.

Meanwhile, a search started for Benjamin Sveinson, 25, from the RM of Rosser. He was last seen at home Saturday night, but when his father woke up Sunday at 7 a.m., his son was gone and his cellphone had been left behind.

Melanie Caldwell, Sveinson’s mother, said RCMP informed the family his bank accounts haven’t been accessed. He also did not show up for work on Tuesday, she added.

“We’re extremely worried. I can’t even describe it. It’s just the feeling of your heart dropping into your toes. We’re searching blind. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack,” Caldwell said.

Sveinson is described as Caucasian, 6-0 and 200 pounds. He has brown eyes and short brown hair, and was last seen wearing black shorts, a T-shirt and a baseball cap. He is believed to have left home in his vehicle, a grey 1999 Toyota Solara, with Manitoba licence plate HUX 323.

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpe