UPDATE: Remains of missing fisherman recovered at northern Saskatchewan lake
The family of a missing man who disappeared on a lake in northern Saskatchewan is offering a reward.
Matthew Hamm, who would be 25 years old today, was last seen fishing on Sept. 23, 2020, on Weyakwin Lake.
“He went out fishing around 6 p.m., he was going to go catch a couple of fish for supper … and he never came back,” father James Hamm said over the phone on Thursday.
“We had lights hooked up to our boat and searched all night and couldn’t find him and then we heard that his boat been found circling that evening on the lake.”
According to the father, who owns Ramsey Bay Campground at the lake, the family is offering up to $100,000 reward “with safe return alive.”
“We found out about a month, a month and a half ago, that a text had gone through to his phone two and a half hours after his boat was found empty and we did get it confirmed too that the RCMP had gotten a ping off of his phone at 11:31 that night,” James said.
“His cellphone was on and his cellphone has never been recovered so we’re wondering.
“The RCMP were the first ones there that did a lot of searching and we can’t find the body.”
Saskatchewan RCMP Cpl. Marianne Coulibaly said in a statement on Thursday that they’ve been working to locate Matthew since receiving the complaint.
“The file is still open and any information that is received is carefully considered, as the investigation does indeed continue. At this time, based on evidence gathered and investigation to date, no foul play is suspected in relation to missing person Matthew Hamm,” read the statement.
“We do follow up with information we receive and the RCMP is not involved in the advertisement or provision of a cash reward for the safe return of Matthew Hamm.”
RCMP said the underwater search team is planning to do another search with the arrival of spring.
Weyakwin Lake is approximately 265 km north of Saskatoon.