RCMP have recovered body of missing man in Sylvan Lake

RCMP have recovered the body of Palwinder Singh, 19, who had been missing after a wave knocked him off an inflatable on Wednesday.

In a press release sent Thursday evening, Sylvan Lake RCMP said they found and retrieved Singh's body at 6:35 p.m., in an area near the spot he had last been seen.

"Family, friends and members of the public have been deeply affected by this tragic event," RCMP said in the release.

Singh's family and friends watched from the shore as RCMP searched for Singh's body earlier Thursday.

Friend Maninder Kaloti said the family is in shock.

"Nobody could believe that happened. Even this morning when we came in, we were still having a hope he would come out from somewhere and we could find him — maybe in rough shape but alive."

RCMP say two males were floating on the lake west of Red Deer on Wednesday afternoon when a wave knocked both into the water. It was unclear whether they were being pulled behind a boat, or just bobbing on the inflatables.

One of the males was helped out by some people who were close by in a dinghy but the second person could not be found.

A child who was in the dinghy swam to shore for help but police say no children needed to be rescued.

Mounties, aided by the RCMP helicopter and civilian boaters, started a search for the missing man on Wednesday but eventually had to suspend it due to darkness.

They resumed the search Thursday morning, with the use of underwater cameras and sonar. 

The Central Alberta Rescue Diving Society's underwater recovery team also joined the search.