SHEGUIANDAH—Two young men’s fishing expedition on Bass Lake in Sheguiandah went terribly wrong this past weekend. The bodies of Tony Roy and Dakota Shawanda were recovered from the lake. Both young men, cousins, were last seen in a canoe on Bass Lake Saturday night.
The body of Mr. Roy was discovered Sunday morning after the police received a call from a concerned family member after the duo failed to show up at the boat launch at 9 pm, the pre-arranged time. The body of his cousin, Mr. Shawanda, was recovered on Sunday evening.
On Saturday, April 29 at 11:30 pm the Manitoulin detachment of the OPP, the OPP Marine Unit and the OPP Underwater Search and Recovery Unit responded to a request from United Chiefs and Council of Manitoulin Anishnaabe Police Service for assistance in locating the fishermen.
The two cousins had left the boat launch around 6 pm in a canoe to go fishing. Investigation has revealed that neither individual was wearing a floatation device.
“Very tragic,” responded Sheguiandah Chief Elvis Mishibinijima. “These were two young men whose lives were cut short. We are reminded that tomorrow is never a given.”
The two young men both had families, each leaving behind their wives and three small children.
Pearl Waindubence, grandmother to both of the young men, described their families as reeling in shock. “They loved to fish,” she said of her grandsons. “They loved to fish and sports, especially hockey. Everybody is in shock.”
According to a release from the Manitoulin OPP Detachment, one individual was located along the shoreline while the second was located and retrieved by the OPP divers. The OPP release identified the deceased individuals as a 28-year-old and a 29-year-old, both of Sheguiandah First Nation. The Office of Chief Coroner and Ontario Forensic Pathology Service is assisting and a post-mortem examination will take place in Sudbury.
“The families have not yet determined funeral arrangements,” noted Ms. Waindubence, as the bodies of the two deceased had not yet been returned from Sudbury.
