After two full days of searching with no new leads, police are suspending their active search for a missing snowmobiler on Lake Joseph.
According to provincial police, the 31-year-old man from Muskoka Lakes Township sent his girlfriend a text message on Thursday afternoon. This was the last time anyone heard from him.
“He was returning from a job site on Round Island. He's an independent contractor and he was there dropping some trees for a customer,” says OPP Insp. Ed Medved.
The OPP was contacted and a helicopter was launched on Friday morning to conduct a search. The pilot found what they believe is the spot where he went through the ice.
The OPP Underwater Search and Recovery Unit was brought in, but diver can’t go down because the man’s body is believed to be 200 feet below the surface.
Instead, crews are using a remote underwater drone to search for the man.
“It enables us to go beyond depths of 100 feet. We're limited to 100 feet for diving. Anything beyond that we would use this piece of equipment,” says Const. Sheldon Lapworth.
The drone captures video and sends it back to officers on a boat. If something is found, officers can use the drone to grab hold of it and bring it back to the surface.
The search continued from the air on Saturday. Helicopters retraced the area, but so far, there are no new leads.
While the active search has been called off, police continue to investigate and ask that anyone with any information contact them.
