12-year-old girl shot while camping at remote cabin in Manitoba: RCMP

Burntwood Lake is pictured in this map of Manitoba. (Source: CTV News Winnipeg)

A 12-year-old girl is in hospital with serious injuries after she was shot while camping with family members at a remote cabin in Manitoba.

Mounties told CTV News the young girl had been camping Wednesday with a group of about 10 people including members of her family at a remote cabin on Burntwood Lake, which is located roughly 180 kilometres northeast of The Pas, when she was shot.

Two of her family members were able to get to Burntwood Lake Lodge, a fly-in only resort, and call for help.

Mounties said a helicopter was able to fly to the lodge and emergency crews then had to travel by boat to the remote camp and help the girl. She was then taken to hospital in Winnipeg with serious injuries.

RCMP said as of Friday, the girl remains in hospital.

Tara Seel, a media relations officer with the RCMP, said investigators are now trying to figure out what happened. She said while it is still early in the investigation, the possibility this was an accident is being 'very strongly considered.'

She said no arrests or charges have been laid at this point in the investigation. Seel said it is too early to say if any are anticipated.

"We're still trying to piece together everything that happened," she said.

Seel said the RCMP Major Crimes Services unit is taking over the investigation as its officers are more specialized. Seel said because the cabin is 'extraordinarily' remote, only accessible by boat, there have been some challenges. However, she said investigators have been able to get to the scene by helicopter and boat.

"Having a 12-year-old female suffer such grievous injuries – it's heartbreaking," Seel said. "We're going to do our due diligence and investigate this, following every process and protocol, and get some answers as to what happened to her."