Amanda Vaughan
Northern News Services
Monday, July 9, 2007

RAE-EDZO - Two young men were were still missing Sunday afternoon, after their boat ran out of gas on the North Arm of Great Slave Lake.

Behchoko RCMP received a report of missing persons Friday evening at around 5:00 p.m. Three young males had left Old Fort Rae by boat, heading to Frank Channel.

Believed to have run out of gas, the boat drifted on the lake before the three youths apparently paddled to a small island to make camp for the night.

RCMP believe the three youths tried to continue on to Frank Channel by paddling the boat. Two of the youths took life jackets and attempted to swim back to Old Fort Rae. The third young man stayed with the boat.

The boat drifted in to the area of North Arm Park, where the third youth was able to reach the shore. From there he went to Yellowknife and told his story to police.

An aerial search was conducted while a jet boat from the Behchoko RCMP detachment returned to Old Fort Rae to pick up four more people camped there.

On Saturday, the search continued with RCMP aircraft, RCMP and Coast Guard vessels and a Coast Guard helicopter.

The search was still on Sunday at press time, and had only turned up the boat and some clothing belonging to the missing youth, left near North Arm Park.