RCMP divers will be arriving in Gillam tonight to begin searching a section of the Nelson River after a row boat was found along the shore Friday.
Inspector Leon Fiedler said it's not clear whether the boat was used by two men wanted in the killings of three people in Northern B.C.
The green-coloured boat was spotted washed up on the shore during a helicopter search of the river on Friday afternoon. The flat-bottom aluminum boat was pulled out of the area in the evening.
“It had gone through some rapids and had been significantly damaged,” Inspector Fiedler said. “We’re going to search in the area around where we found this boat just to make sure that there is nobody attached to it, whether that is our subjects or anyone else for that matter.”
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The boat was located in an area known as the lower Limestone Rapids, near Keewatinoow converter station. bbm
Police did not find anything near the boat last night except for a red and white water jug.
Officers were combing through the area on Saturday, turning vehicles away from the search zone.
The boat was found about 70 kilometers north of Gillam, by road, and about 13 kilometers from where the SUV that police believe the fugitives were driving was found burning in a ditch on the evening of July 22. bbm
Inspector Fiedler said police had not located the owner of the boat. The search area, he added, is challenging.
“It’s a really tricky area because of the rapids,” he said. “It’s not an area that is well-traveled by anybody by boat.”
The boat was brought to the Gillam RCMP detachment.
Police will not be able to obtain any forensic evidence from the boat, Inspector Fiedler said.
The RCMP’s underwater recovery team was expected to arrive in Gillam on Saturday night and divers were set to begin searching Sunday. The police had last scoured the area by air three or four days ago, Inspector Fiedler said.
RCMP divers to begin searching river near Gillam after finding rowboat, search for B.C. fugitives continues