Lifesaving Society warns to stay off water after boater goes missing in accident on Red River

The Lifesaving Society is warning boaters it's too early in the season to be on the water after a man went missing and is presumed drowned after a boat capsized on the Red River in Winnipeg Friday.

While the ice may have melted from rivers in southern Manitoba, Kevin Tordiffe, operations manager with the Manitoba branch of the Lifesaving Society, says that doesn't mean it's safe to be on the water just yet.

"We have to understand that early in the spring like this there can often be debris that is being washed down the river … so there is still lots of risks to be boating on the rivers in Winnipeg right now," he told CBC News Saturday.

"If you're travelling at normal or what you may consider a safe boating speed and you strike a water-logged log or other debris that is essentially stationary and weighted by the water it can be very devastating — it can be like hitting a brick wall."

Four people were in the boat when it capsized on the river near Chief Peguis Trail Friday night,  Winnipeg police said in a media release Saturday.

Three made it to shore and were taken to hospital — one in unstable condition and the other two in stable condition.

Despite a search spanning from Chief Peguis Trail to Lockport, Man., assisted by the police helicopter and the Fire Paramedic Service, neither the boat nor the fourth man could be found.

Winnipeg police spokesperson Tammy Skrabek said the men who made it to shore called police.

"We had officers go speak with them, as well as start searching those shorelines immediately," she said. "[The police helicopter] Air 1 was also in the air … and was unable to locate them."

Skrabek said given the depth, speed and temperature of the water, police believe the missing man is dead.

Charges laid

The operator of the boat, a 24-year-old man, was arrested for driving while ability impaired causing death, driving while ability impaired, and causing death by criminal negligence. Police say he was released on a promise to appear.

Skrabek said two of the men drove the boat to The Forks from north of the city. The two other men got on board when the boat docked at The Forks, and then the four headed back north on the river.

She said the three survivors are "extremely fortunate to have survived the river, the way it's running right now."

Tordiffe says generally speaking the May long weekend marks the first time boaters should be able to get on to the water, but he stresses that can change year by year and says boaters should wait until the Winnipeg police river patrol unit gives the OK before going out in a boat or canoe.

While Tordiffe couldn't speak to the specifics of this case, he says alcohol use is a "major contributing factor" in nearly 100 per cent of all the boating fatalities in Manitoba.

He says there's no safe level of alcohol use while boating.

"What we find fascinating is that people who have made the decision not to drink and drive because they know the risks and associated penalties are still making a decision to boat and drink," he said.

"That's just unacceptable — if we've figured out the risks in one avenue, the other shouldn't be any different."

Police are asking anyone who saw the boat leave The Forks, or may have video of the boat on the water, to contact them at 204-986-7085 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477).