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Searchers scour Sikome Lake for man feared drowned

CALGARY- Search efforts continued in Sikome Lake on Tuesday, for a 29-year-old man who is presumed drowned.

The family of Ali Shaikh says he was in a dinghy with six others on Monday, when it tipped over. Four of them tumbled into the water, including Shaikh who did not know how to swim. It’s not known if he was wearing a life jacket.

Everyone else safely made it to shore except for Shaikh, and despite exhaustive search efforts his body has still not been found.

“We’re just waiting until we get updates, we don’t know what’s going on,” says relative Wahid Akhtari, who was watching the rescue efforts with other family members.

Divers from the Calgary Fire Department are focusing their search on the middle of the lake, where the water is about three metres deep. However, weeds and murky water are hampering their efforts.

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“It’s a bit of a challenge with the turbidity of the water and the amount of the visibility we have under the water,” explains District Fire Chief Randy Yeates. “There is a bed of weeds at the bottom, so the guys are pretty much searching by hand…by feel.”

Sikome Lake will remain closed until the search is completed.

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