A police helicopter has found an an abandoned, damaged aluminum boat on the Nelson River Sunday, as RCMP dive teams begin work in the area as part of the search for two B.C. fugitives.
According to a tweet from Manitoba RCMP, they found the boat on Friday, which led to a dive team being sent to the area.
Boat was found Friday, @rcmpmb say, but we're only finding out about this on Sunday. B.C. fugitives Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky are wanted for 3 deaths, but there haven't been any confirmed sightings since July 22. @BlackPressMedia #canadamanhunt #manitobamanhunt
— Kat Slepian (@katslepian) August 4, 2019
Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky are facing second-degree murder charges in the death of Leonard Dyck near Dease Lake on July 19, and remain suspects in the double homicide of tourists Lucas Fowler and Chynna Deese near Liard Hot Springs on July 15.
There have been no confirmed sightings of the two fugitives since July 22, when they were spotted near Gillam, Man., and a SUV they stole was dumped nearby.
Manitoba RCMP were unable to substantiate a July 28 tip that the two men were spotted near York Landing, about 200 kilometres southwest of Gillam, despite an intensive search and lockdown of the community.
READ MORE: RCMP withdraw from York Landing, focus search for B.C. fugitives elsewhere
Police declined to say where along the Nelson River the boat was found, or where their dive team would be operating. The Nelson River runs 644 kilometres from Lake Winnipeg in the south before flowing into Hudson Bay to the north. The river flows past both York Landing and Gillam.
READ MORE: RCMP call in dive team to search for B.C. fugitives near Gillam
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READ MORE: Ontario police investigate possible sightings of northern B.C. murder suspects
