Cold, mud ending Winnipeg drag of the Red River

Too many leaves and too much cold wet weather is forcing the organizers of Drag the Red to end their search for clues into missing and murdered aboriginal women.

Bernadette Smith, who spearheaded the Drag the Red initiative, expects the search by boats in the water to wrap up Oct. 25.

Those who have been walking the riverbank, combing through the grass, trees and scrub will finish up earlier, likely at the end of this week, she said. The cold, wet weather along with all the leaves and the mud is now making things too difficult for them.

The efforts will resume in the spring as soon as possible, she said.

• Red River search for missing, murdered women wraps up 1st day
• Women comb riverbank for clues in missing, murdered women cases
• Tina Fontaine, 15, found in bag in Red River

The initiative began Sept. 17 with volunteers on both the water and shore. Those in the boats dropped metal bars and hooks about four metres deep and trolled the river.

"We actually pulled up a couple of things [that were] weighed down, and not just one cinderblock, but two like big cinderblocks and, you know, tied to rope and then the rope was tied to clothing that is wrapped up with something inside," Smith said.

"We didn't look. We've just turned that over to the police."

Searchers walking the riverbank have managed to cover the east bank of the Red from the Alexander Docks to the Chief Peguis Trail, as well as the west bank from the docks up to St. John's Park, Smith said.

Smith, who has been searching for her sister Claudette Osborne since 2008, said the Drag the Red project began after the body of 15-year-old Tina Fontaine was found in a bag in the Red River near Alexander Docks in August.