Teen girls found dead outside after frigid night in St. Theresa Point: Manitoba RCMP
Autopsy planned for pair of girls, both 14, who RCMP suspect were outside on night of –23 C temperatures
A pair of 14-year-old girls are dead after they were found outside a home on St. Theresa Point First Nation on Wednesday morning.
Police believe the girls were outside for a period of time on a night when the temperature dropped to –23 C, a Thursday news release from Manitoba RCMP said.
Island Lake RCMP were called around 8 a.m. after the two girls were found outside the home.
They were taken to the nursing station, where they were pronounced dead.
RCMP said an autopsy is planned.
RCMP media relations officer Cpl. Julie Courchaine said the evidence so far suggests the girls were outside for a significant period of time.
Investigators believe weather played a significant role, said Courchaine, but they won't know for sure what the cause of death was until the autopsy results are in.
"It was a real tragic scenario," she said. "I do want to give my condolences to the family and community who are obviously grieving right now. To lose two young people is just unimaginable."
Crisis team headed to St. Theresa Point
Grand Chief Scott Harper of Anishininew Okimawin, which represents the four First Nations in northeastern Manitoba's Island Lake area — including St. Theresa Point — said he is going to the community on Friday with a crisis team to show his support.
"It bears a lot on the community and to have a loss like that, it's very devastating … especially to the families and the students," he told CBC on Thursday.
"That [loss] is kind of hard to comprehend."
The four Island Lake First Nations are one people and are all mourning the loss, said Harper.
"If one community hurts, the rest of the communities feel it as well."
With files from Brittany Greenslade