By Brian Schultz
A boater has gone missing on the Valley River near the RM of Gilbert Plains after the boat he was travelling in capsized.
RCMP responded on Sunday at about 4 p.m., and found the four other occupants in the boat made it to safety. A 29-year-old Gilbert Plains man is missing and is reportedly not a strong swimmer, nor was he wearing a life jacket.
Police say the boaters were using a non-motorized aluminum boat with paddles, when it appears the boat turned sideways in the current and began to take on water.
Manitoba Search and Rescue, along with other agencies, began an extensive ground and air search, but yielded negative results.
The Valley River is flowing above normal capacity given recent rains in the area resulting in high currents and overland flooding. These conditions are making search efforts difficult and dangerous to searchers.
Efforts to locate the missing boater resumed Monday morning.
UPDATE: June 23, 2010 — RCMP have recovered the body of 30-year-old Kelly David Kulcheski just before noon on Wednesday. The body was recovered near the location of where the boat capsized.
