The body of 10-year-old Maximo Au Ramirez, one of two brothers who went missing in Nutimik Lake, was found Thursday evening by RCMP.
Mounties say they found the body around 7:30 p.m. on July 22, after receiving a report that a body was near the shore.
Police were called to the possible drowning Saturday afternoon near Sturgeon Falls Trail in Whiteshell Provincial Park.
They have said it’s believed one boy slipped on rocks and fell into the water, but it wasn’t clear if the other boy jumped in to help or also fell.
The search for his 13-year-old brother is still ongoing, and has reached its fifth day.
It brings renewed calls for water safety during National Drowning Prevention Week.
“We’re doing a large area scan currently because right at the point of entry, we’ve checked that multiple times and our feeling is that they’ve been, they’ve been washed downstream of it,” said Paul Maendel, HEART Coordinator.
While crews continue searching the rapids where the boys were last seen Saturday, HEART has expanded its search into the lake and farther downstream.
Emergency crews continue to look for two boys who went missing at Nutimik Lake. (Credit: Facebook/ St. Pierre-Jolys & Niverville RCMP)
The search comes just days after another tragedy, where an 18-year-old Winnipeg man drowned while swimming across a gravel pit near Grunthal.
As National Drowning Prevention Week continues, safety advocates hope these tragedies remind Manitobans that preparation before heading to the water can save lives.
“It can make the difference between just having a lovely, lovely memory and having something tragic happen,” said Lynn Stefanchuk, the executive director of the Lifesaving Society Manitoba.
Report impaired boating sign. (Mitchell Ringos, CityNews)
The Lifesaving Society Manitoba says preparation starts long before anyone gets in the water. This includes checking weather and water conditions to making sure everyone has a properly fitted life jacket.
“Having the life jacket on your boat isn’t going to help you. You need to be wearing it because you don’t have time to put it on when something happens,” said Stefanchuk.
Eric Labopa, with Manitoba Coalition for Safer Waters, added, “Families will turn around if they forget the ice. But if they forget the life jackets, it’s almost like, ‘It’s okay, we can make do without the life jackets.’”
Lifejackets. (Mitchell Ringos, CityNews)
Respecting the water goes beyond simply wearing a life jacket. Labopa says alcohol continues to be a factor in many preventable drownings, while learning about Manitoba’s lakes and rivers is especially important for anyone unfamiliar with their unique conditions.
“We encourage them to go out and explore Manitoba. Manitoba is a beautiful province, and we really do. And then, but when they’re out there, all of a sudden, they can be overwhelmed with rapids or big water, you know,” said Labopa.
Stefanchuk added, “There does tend to also be a bit of complacency from people who did grow up here, who do know what they’re supposed to do and feel a little bit of overconfidence sometimes of, oh, I know what I’m doing, I know how to swim.”
As National Drowning Prevention Week continues, safety advocates hope those reminders will help prevent the next tragedy and highlight the importance of swimming lessons and planning ahead.
-With files from the Canadian Press
Advocates stress water safety during National Drowning Prevention Week. (Mitchell Ringos, CityNews)
Keep it Factual
Add CityNews Winnipeg as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.
