Alberta RCMP revealed Thursday that investigators no longer believe the death of a young girl on Wabamun Lake over the weekend involved a canoe flipping over and that a criminal probe into the incident is ongoing.
Police said officers were called about a capsized boat on the lake — located about 70 km west of Edmonton — just before 3 p.m. on Sunday. At the time, it was believed two people were on the boat.
They said a young girl was recovered from the water by bystanders before police and paramedics arrived. The five-year-old girl died despite the lifesaving efforts of paramedics.
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The other person who had been in the canoe is a 35-year-old woman who was pulled from the water by someone on another boat at the time that it capsized, according to police.
“RCMP has now learned that the watercraft did not capsize and is continuing to treat this fatal incident as a criminal investigation,” police said in a news release issued Thursday.
“RCMP is seeking public assistance from anyone who was in the area between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., who may have been witness to this drowning, or may have drone footage from the area, to contact Parkland RCMP at 825-220-2000.”
Police said anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-8477.
— with files from Karen Bartko, Global News
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