Families look for 'hope, a sign' of missing N.W.T. boys

Determined to find two Yellowknife teenagers missing on Great Slave Lake for days, their friends and families continued their own search Tuesday even after the RCMP called off official efforts.

The families of Michael Luzny, 18, and Randy Leisk Jr., 15, say they're still hopeful the teens safely swam to shore after their boat's engine broke down on the lake's North Arm late last week.

"Hope, a sign, you know, somebody on the shore there waving at you," said Allen Taylor, Luzny's uncle, from his boat on the lake's shore.

"That's what I was looking for … Michael and his buddy there, jumping up and down and screaming at us."

High winds along the North Arm temporarily hampered search efforts Tuesday. Taylor, his son and three family members spent hours motoring in their five-metre aluminum boat, scouring the shoreline.

"I don't know, it's just hard to describe," Taylor said. "It is pretty tough trying to cope with it and … being strong for the family, for the kids, the cousins."

The RCMP notified the families of Leisk and Luzny late Monday of their decision to end their official search, after efforts by airplane, helicopter and boat since Friday night turned up no sign of the teens.

But Catrina Stiopu, who identified herself as Leisk's cousin, said three to four days is not enough for police to end their search.

Stipou and Tanya Nowdlak, a friend of both teens, spent Tuesday distributing flyers around Yellowknife pleading people to help the families' search.

"Just imagine if it was your son: do you want him to have a proper burial, or do you want him to sit out in the bush and rot, thinking no one loves him?" Stipou said.

"If it was our brothers or my son out there, I would want to know," Nowdlak added.

'Up to them now'

"It doesn't matter if he's dead or alive, I'd want to know either way. So we're trying to find people to help the families because it's left up to them now."

Stipou and Nowdlak returned to Frank Channel Tuesday night to rejoin search efforts.

Duringtheir search, police had spoken with Nazon Goulet, a friend who was with Leisk and Luzny on the North Arm when the boat broke down.

Goulet had told police that the boat's engine stopped as they were in the midst of a 15-kilometre journey from Frank Channel to Old Fort Rae, the site of an old Métis community.

Goulet said he stayed in the boat, while Luzny and Leisk attempted to swim to shore.