Prince George, B.C. – RCMP in Burns Lake say they have recovered the body of a 17-year-old boy who was reported overdue from a fishing excursion last Tuesday.

Just before 9 Tuesday night Burns Lake RCMP received a report of an overdue boater on Tchesinkut Lake. 17 year old Bryce Gray of Burns Lake  was last seen at approximately 1:00 p.m. that day, heading out to go fishing on Tchesinkut Lake, which is approximately 13 kilometers south of Burns Lake on Highway 35.  He had told his family he would be back that night.    In the early morning hours of Wednesday his boat was found on the shore of the lake empty and with the motor missing.

Staff Sgt. Grant MacDonald of the Burns Lake RCMP tells 250 News that the body of the teenager was recovered out of Tchesinkut Lake early Sunday afternoon by the RCMP Underwater Recovery Team, in assistance to the B.C. Coroner’s Service.  Staff Sgt. MacDonald says the body was recovered from a depth of 55 feet in the lake, which is just under 500 feet at its deepest point.  Tchesinkut Lake is 17 kilometres long and 3 kilometres wide.

Staff Sgt. MacDonald says the boy’s body was recovered underneath the surface of the water and was not trapped under or caught up on anything.  He also confirms there was nothing untoward about the boy’s death, stating “there is nothing suspicious about this tragedy.”  It was a drowning.

He also says Bryce was not wearing a Personal Flotation Device when located but there  was a PFD in his 12-foot aluminum boat.   He says the tragedy reinforces “the importance for people, when they’re out on our waterways doing recreational-type  activities, to ensure they look after their safety by wearing  their Personal Flotation Devices and having all the safety equipment on board their vessels.”

Asked about the weather conditions at the time Bryce was fishing Staff Sgt. MacDonald says “it was blowing fairly decent during the afternoon of Tuesday.”

Burns Lake RCMP teamed up with the Burns Lake Search and Rescue, The BC Conservation Services, Ministry of Forests, RCMP Air Services, Victim Services, Police Dog Services, Terrace Search and Rescue  and several community volunteers in the search effort.