Search continues for man who presumably drowned in Kamsack

The search continues for the body of a 30-year-old man RCMP believe drowned in the Assiniboine River in Kamsack earlier this week.

Ernest Severight went into the river at the Riverside Golf Club late Tuesday afternoon. A 44-year-old woman tried to rescue him but was unsuccessful.

“The search for Severight has been extensive and is still ongoing,” Kamsack RCMP wrote in a news release Saturday evening. “All of the areas that could be searched under water have been covered.”

The release goes on to say how crews searched the area for two days using sonar, visual and underwater searches in very hazardous conditions with negative results.

With the assistance of Kamsack Fire, RCMP said they also searched the surface of the river downstream using boats, shore patrols, visual and manual methods. An aerial drone has also been used in the area with the help of the Yorkton Forensic Identification Section.

RCMP list strong currents and poor visibility under water as reasons why the search is taking longer than expected.

In the coming days, Mounties said they plan to use a search and rescue plane to widen the search area.

RCMP are also warning people that the spring runoff and turbulent waters in the area where Severight was last seen are very dangerous, and they urge people to stay away from the river at this time of year.