Red Lake Police Department: Missing Fishermen Update - Day 10

Missing Fishermen Update

November 16, 2017- Dive teams from Northwestern Regional Water Rescue, Stutsman County and Water Valley Rescue spent a second entire day yesterday deploying two ROV's under the water in search of the two missing fishermen and were assisted by Red Lake Law Enforcement and the Fire Department on the lake and other tribal program employees.

An area of approximately 30,000 square feet was searched under water with sonar and underwater camera equipment without success. In addition, the Air boats were not used due to high winds and poor visibility at times and operations were then moved to ATV's that could only be used in areas with proper ice.

The teams consisting of 25 searchers traveled from great distances to assist Red Lake in hopes of recovering the fishermen and unfortunately poor weather conditions along with thin and unstable ice prevented the searchers from covering all areas identified in the search grid. The Dive Teams have shared their willingness to return to Red Lake when operations can take place on ice depths capable of holding heavier equipment. There are still portions of the lake near the designated search areas that are not frozen over and still must be searched.

However, Red Lake and Leech Lake Conservation officers will continue to search new areas possessing stable ice not covered by the ROV's and will operate with a more scaled down search party but eventually will remobilize into a full strength search group once the ice reaches the safe point we all desire so we can successfully perform cold weather dives and deploy additional sonar equipment.

While working on the lakes, searches noticed several areas that contained unstable ice and we want to remind the public to not venture out on the lake near the search areas due to shaky and shifting ice conditions because law enforcement is equipped to travel in those areas and the general public is not.

Once again we offer our most sincere appreciation for the Dive Teams who came to help out Red Lake and look forward to their return if Red Lake Law Enforcement does not find the missing fishermen.

We will continue to do our best and have so many dedicated men and women and community members who have worked with limited hours of sleep that want these loved ones home and special thanks goes to those who keep supporting this operation in so many different ways!

We will continue to update as needed.

Thanks again for all the prayers!