Two people on canoe trip stranded overnight in Manitoba wilderness: RCMP

A pair of experienced canoeists were rescued on August 21, 2021, after spending the night on a remote area along the Hayes River in Manitoba when their canoe was damaged. (Source: RCMP)

WINNIPEG -

Two people on a canoe trip in northern Manitoba were left stranded overnight when their boat was damaged while crossing some rapids last weekend.

Mounties said the pair – a 60-year-old woman and a 63-year-old man – both of whom are experienced canoeists, had been canoeing on the Hayes River, about 115 kilometres northeast of Oxford House.

During the trip, their canoe was badly damaged when they tried crossing a section of rapids on the river.

The pair sent out a GPS distress signal which was received by the International Emergency Response Coordination Center (IERCC) on Friday around 4:40 p.m. RCMP said the two reported that they were not injured but were stranded on a remote riverbank waiting for help.

While the IERCC told the pair that their distress signal had been received, it said it would likely be a day before a rescue team would be able to get to them.

Mounties said officers from Oxford House and the Thompson Detachment chartered a floatplane on Saturday afternoon and were able to rescue the two people.

RCMP said while the two people were, “a bit wet,” they were otherwise unharmed.