Divers continue search for missing Waswanipi boater

Divers continue tosearch for a man involved in a weekend boatingaccident on the O'Sullivan River near the northern Quebec community of Miquelon, after the body of a fellow passenger was pulled from the water on Sunday. One other passenger made it safely to the shore.

The accident happened in the early morning hours on Saturday after the three men, all from the Cree community of Waswanipi, left in a small boat with a five-horsepower motor upstream on the river, according to Lee-Roy Blacksmith, regional fire marshalfor the Cree Nation Government.

"Theyhad motor problems, the motor was kind [of] low on gas," said Blacksmith. "[They were]threeheavy men in a small boat."

A team of divers and a helicopter with the Sret du Qubec, along with several volunteers from the community of Waswanipi, were involved in the search throughout the weekend. A command centre has been set up where Highway 113 crosses the O'Sullivan River.

Blacksmith saidnone of the men were wearinglife jackets and likely exceeded the weight the boat could safely carry. All three men held onto the boat after it capsized, but only one of them let go andswam to shore, according to Blacksmith.

"The other two didn't know to swim so they hung on the boat," he said. "They tried to tip the boat but I guess they weren't able to."

Police have met with the survivor after he was sent to hospital in the nearby city of Lebel-sur-Quvillon.

At the end of the day on Sunday, searchers located the body of one of the men below a set of rapids downstream from where the boat had capsized. Blacksmith saidMonday's search concentrated in the same area where the manwas found.

As the summer boating season gets underway,Blacksmith said he wants to remindpeople of the importance of having life jackets for everyone travelling on the water.

"My big message is safety on the boat," he said. "And also to be aware of the size of the boat and to read the message on the boat [about]the max weight of the boat."

Local administration in Waswanipi has postponed a general assembly out of respect for the families involved.

The search is expected to continue on Tuesday.