Volunteers join Manitoba RCMP in ground search for missing Sagkeeng man

A ground search operation is underway inSagkeeng First Nation for a missing 26-year-old man who hasn't been seen in almost one week.

Powerview RCMP say they received reports of Christian James Letander's disappearance on Thursday after he was last seen on Letander Road in Fort Alexander, located approximately 100 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.

Destiny Lameman, the mother of Letander's children, said the missing man was last seen by his family as he left for a walk to his friend's house in the early morning hours of Sunday.

Lameman said the man's grandfather heard him crying on the riverbank's shoreline after he was last seen,but he couldn't track him down and he hasn't called or reached out to his family since.

"Nobody has heard from him at all, the whole reserve knows about it [and] nobody has come forward with any information," she said. "It's getting pretty extreme now."

More than a dozen community volunteers have combed through the community, searching with a dog and drones along with the RCMP to find Letander, Lameman said, adding they are expecting a diving team will be deployed on Saturday.

Letander is described as five feet, seven inches, 205 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair, RCMP said in a news release. He was last seen wearing a grey jacket, black Ecko sweatpants, and black Nike sneakers.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Powerview RCMP at 204-367-8728.

An anonymous report can be made to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.