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 Police officially called off the search for missing boater Craig Walters, who fell into Ryan Lake two weeks ago. - Photo courtesy of Violet Walters |
Despite a search and rescue effort that included several divers and a remote camera, police were unable to find the body of 34-year-old Craig Walters.
The father of two fell overboard while fishing on Ryan Lake Aug. 18. He was not wearing a life jacket.
"You never want to give up hope, but at this point we have officially ended the search," said RCMP Const. Kerri Riehl.
The recovery effort was hampered by frigid water temperatures and the depth of Ryan Lake, which reaches nearly 200 metres in certain areas, said Wayne Gzowski, district manager for Arctic Divers, the company that conducted the search.
"We were operating in nearly pitch black conditions," said Gzowski. "It was nearly impossible to see anything."
Divers descended to about 45 metres and a remote camera was used to scan the lake up do a depth of about 65 metres, but all searchers were able to locate was a school of freshwater shrimp, said Gzowski.
At nearly 200 metres, Ryan Lake is one of the deepest in the area. Gzowski believes it may have been an ancient volcano, likening the rock formations to ones he has seen in Hawaii.
The area where Walters disappeared is about 45 metres deep, he estimated, but a nearby shelf leads to a precipitous drop of nearly 150 metres.
Due to the depth of the lake and the reverse-buoyancy effect the water has at 50 metres and below, Gzowski said it was unlikely Walters would ever be found.
"(He) would probably settle to the bottom," he said.
"It's an absolutely pristine environment down there."
In an interview with Yellowknifer last week, Walter's wife Violet said she was holding out hope her husband would be found.
"Every car I see, I think it's bringing him back. A little cut up and bruised, maybe, but home."
