Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht, known as 'Professor Popsicle' at the University of Manitoba, prepares a pig's body to be placed in the Red River on Wednesday, January 5, 2011. Search teams are using the cadaver to recreate the path six-year-old Nathaniel Thorassie may have taken after he fell into the river on December 4, 2010. (STAN MILOSEVIC / MANITOBAPHOTOS.COM)
A recovery effort on the Red River has taken an unusual turn, as rescuers are using a deceased pig to locate the body of a missing boy.
Six-year-old Nathaniel Thorassie fell into the river on December 4, 2010 while playing on the ice with his 10-year-old brother.
A pig cadaver will be lowered into the water today so search teams can track its movement downstream. The idea is to see where the pig ends up, and then expand their search for Nathaniel in that specific area.
On Tuesday, a team from Vancouver arrived to assist in the search by using specialized sonar equipment.
Meanwhile, the City of Winnipeg has temporarily halted planned construction work near the Disraeli Bridge to not impede rescuers’ efforts.
View the photo gallery below.
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- Searchers on the Red River prepare to dive to find the body of six-year-old Nathaniel Thorassie after he fell into the river on December 4, 2010. (MARC EVANS / CHRISD.CA)
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- Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht, known as ‘Professor Popsicle’ at the University of Manitoba, prepares a pig’s body to be placed in the Red River on Wednesday, January 5, 2011. Search teams are using the cadaver to recreate the path six-year-old Nathaniel Thorassie may have taken after he fell into the river on December 4, 2010. (STAN MILOSEVIC / MANITOBAPHOTOS.COM)
