1 dead, 4 rescued after boat stranded in northern Alberta

The body of a missing boater on Lesser Slave Lake has been found thanks to an outpouring of help from the community.

One man is dead after five boaters became stranded on Lesser Slave Lake in northern Alberta on Friday, July 11.

High Prairie RCMP responded to a call about the boaters stranded on a sandbar in the area around 10:30 p.m. Friday.

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According to a statement from RCMP, the five boaters had been on the sandbar when the boat started floating away.

One of the boaters tried to get to the boat but “was swept underwater.”

The other four boaters were rescued by the Big Lakes County Fire Department.

RCMP, Alberta District General Investigation Section, the Underwater Search Team and “many locals” were involved in the search for the missing man and the boat itself, both of whom had disappeared.

On Saturday, a local helicopter spotted the boat. A fisherman using sonar equipment was able to find the fifth boater underwater.

Cole Cunningham, a 39-year-old man from Grande Prairie, was confirmed to be the boater who died.

“Cole Cunningham was a father, a son, a nephew, an uncle and friend to so many,” said best friend Jenna Letendre in a statement.

“Cole made a lasting impact on everyone around him, and he will be deeply missed by his friends and family.”

Cunningham is survived by five children: Ryan, Jayden, Kelton, Kyra and Brazyn.

Windy conditions, ‘massive’ community involvement

Corporal Matthew Howell, public information officer for the Alberta RCMP, told CTV News Edmonton that according to the initial call to police, weather conditions were “actually quite windy.”

“That’s what caused the boat to kind of shift off, and quickly,” Howell said.

He said there was also a “massive” community involvement that saw the family of each boater in the area helping with the search.

RCMP say the investigation is still ongoing.

Howell said the next steps will be to perform an autopsy and the medical examiner will issue a final statement.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Sasha Pietramala