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Man who rented canoe found in Lake Laberge

Police and the coroner have identified 54-year-old Allan Kirwan as the man found dead on June 26.
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The RCMP and the coroner have identified a man found dead in Lake Laberge on June 26 after leaving on a solo canoe trip. (File Photo)

Man who rented canoe found in Lake Laberge

The Yukon RCMP and Coroner’s service have identified a canoeist found dead after an apparent capsize on Lake Laberge.

According to a June 30 statement from the RCMP, a search was launched when an off-duty RCMP officer boating on Lake Laberge spotted an overturned canoe shortly after 4 p.m. on June 26.

Police determined that the canoe was a rental and the man who rented it had planned a trip ending in Carmacks on June 30. Remarks from the coroner note that the canoe had been rented on June 24 and the man was travelling solo.

The Yukon RCMP search and rescue coordinator was notified and Yukon Search and Rescue (YSAR) volunteers were brought in.

The Whitehorse RCMP used their police plane to patrol the area where the capsized canoe had been located.

At around 6:25 pm, RCMP officers aboard the police plane located the deceased canoeist approximately five kilometres from where the canoe was located.

He has been identified as 54-year-old Allan Kirwan, a seasonal resident of Whitehorse.

The Yukon Coroner’s Service visited the scene with help from the Whitehorse RCMP.

According to the RCMP, water and wind conditions on the lake were poor at the time Kirwan’s body was found.

“Water travel conditions on Lake Laberge at the time of Mr. Kirwan’s departure and the following day were challenging. High water and high winds would have created extremely hazardous conditions,” the coroner’s remark states.

The RCMP and coroner remind the public that the high water conditions pose a threat to all water travellers at this time.

The investigation into Kirwan’s death is ongoing and the RCMP and coroner’s service are extending condolences to his friends and family.

(Jim Elliot)



Jim Elliot

About the Author: Jim Elliot

I’m a B.C. transplant here in Whitehorse at The News telling stories about the Yukon's people, environment, and culture.
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