Rainy River First Nations Chief Jim Leonard is asking for volunteers to assist in recovering a body of a Minnesota resident who is presumed to have drowned near Manitou Rapids on Sunday afternoon.
“As I understand it, he was coming to visit his girlfriend, who is from this community, and for whatever reason was turned back at the border,” Chief Leonard explained this morning.
“So what he did was he made his way to Manitou Rapids on the American side and then tried to swim across.”
The man, who Leonard believes to be 30 years old and from Cass Lake, Mn., apparently tried to swim across above the rapids but was pulled into the current.
“He went under and didn’t come up,” he said, adding there were witnesses who saw him in the water.
Chief Leonard noted the man’s clothing was discovered on Tuesday on the U.S. side.
“Because he went into the water on the Minnesota side, it’s the sheriff’s investigation right now,” he explained.
He doesn’t believe the OPP or Treaty Three police are involved in the investigation at this time, but said they are on the river lending assistance to locate the body.
Chief Leonard noted the family of the man has been at Manitou Rapids for the past few days and asked that Rainy River First Nations put a call out to the general public for help.
“They’re frustrated with not knowing,” he remarked, saying although the outcome at this point is not expected to be positive, recovering the body would allow the family to begin grieving.
“We were out yesterday [Wednesday], but we still need people to come out and help patrol the river,” he stressed.
Anyone who is willing to lend a hand is asked to contact Chief Leonard at 482-2479.
“Even just come down with a boat and we can tell them what to do,” he said.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
