Groomer operator’s body found

A body has been recovered on Deer Lake after a groomer went through the ice there last week.
On Dec. 21, Red Lake OPP were contacted by the Nishnawbe-Aski Police (NAPS) in Deer Lake First Nation, 750 km northwest of Thunder Bay.

NAPS advised that a local resident, 56-year-old Henry Meekis, was operating a Bombardier groomer on Deer Lake in the area of Womens Bay, two km from the community.
Witnesses saw the groomer go through the ice around 1 p.m.. They notified community members as the operator was unable to get out.
On Dec. 22, the OPP’s Underwater Search and Recovery Unit arrived in Deer Lake to assist.
The body was recovered the following day at 11 a.m.
The OPP have had a number of incidents involving vehicles and snowmachines going through the ice in the North West Region during the last couple of weeks.
Caution should be used in all cases and if ice thickness is unknown, then stay clear of the area.