UPDATE: Body of Robert Lehto found along South Saskatchewan River
A massive search is underway along the South Saskatchewan River as agencies from all over the region look for any sign of a 57-year-old man who disappeared without a trace.
On Sunday, friends of Robert Harry Lehto said they last saw him near a sandbar on the river before he vanished from the popular summer spot known as Paradise Beach just south of Saskatoon.
“He had gone off for a walk, they didn’t see him for quite a while and after searching the area they realized that he was missing and contacted police in helping to assist in trying to locate him,” RCMP Cpl. Rob King said.
According to King, the call for help came in around 6 p.m. and RCMP have since deployed every resource available to them.
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“We have Saskatoon Search and Rescue, RCMP Search and Rescue doing ground searches up and down the shores,” King said.
“The Saskatoon Fire Department did a run up and down the river which was unsuccessful and we also have our underwater recovery team in the area as well.”
An RCMP dog and handler were also brought in to search along the shoreline with help from STARS.
Civilian Air Search and Rescue (CASARA) joined the search on Monday.
A huge contingencies of emergency personnel combing for any clues that may lead them to Lehto but so far, among the vast landscape, there has been no evidence of him from land or water.
“Any time you’re dealing with water – the temperature is a variance, the speed of the current is a variance,” King added.
“It always makes it more difficult.”
RCMP said Lehto also noted to friends just how quickly the river was moving prior to his disappearance.
Police said other investigation avenues are still open and ask anyone who may have seen Lehto after July 29 to contact Saskatoon RCMP at 306-975-5145.
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