2nd man drowns in 3 months fleeing RCMP in Sask.
Recovery efforts are underway but the man is believed to be dead
Stony Rapids RCMP believe a man to be dead after he disappeared into the Fond du Lac River in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Police were responding to a complaint at a residence in the community. When they arrived, a man fled the scene on foot. The man went into the river and disappeared beneath the surface, and is believed to have drowned.
Police say efforts are underway to recover his body, so a positive identification has not yet been completed. The recovery effort is being led by Stony Rapids RCMP with help from the RCMP Underwater Recovery Team. The Fond du Lac River flows through the community, before emptying into Lake Athabasca downstream.
The RCMP have requested an independent, outside investigation into the incident which will be conducted by the Prince Albert Police Service. An observer from the Ministry of Justice has also been requested.
The investigation comes just months after two men died while attempting to flee RCMP.
Both incidents are being investigated by outside departments.
One man died November 5, 2016 near Onion Lake, Sask. after he attempted to flee police in a vehicle and lost control which caused a rollover. The Regina Police Service is investigating.
The second incident occurred on November 7 near Macklin, in which another man fled into a body of water and drowned. The Moose Jaw Police Service is investigating.
Stony Rapids is located approximately 1,000 kilometres north of Saskatoon, near the communities of Uranium City, Fond-du-Lac and the border of the Northwest Territories.