With the help of two volunteer search and recovery divers, the body of a man who went missing while canoeing on the Sunshine Coast three years ago has finally been found – bringing closure to his grieving family.
Twenty-six-year-old Thomas Hines, originally from Nova Scotia, went missing in 2019 and was believed to have drowned in Waugh Lake, according to a statement from the Sunshine Coast RCMP released Monday.
An exhaustive search involving helicopters, the RCMP dive team, and local search and rescue crews was undertaken but Hines was never located.
Last week, Gene and Sandy Ralston – a married couple in their 70s – arrived on the coast with their sonar-equipped boat, travelling from their home in Boise, Id., after COVID-19-related border restrictions were eased.
“Impressed by their success in similar cases, Const. Cole Vander Helm, who had been involved in the original investigation, reached out to the Ralstons to request their help,” the RCMP's statement says, describing the pair as “methodical and painstaking in their search for bodies” as well as “renowned for donating their time and expertise as underwater search and recovery specialists.”
The Ralstons, accompanied by Vander Helm, began their search on April 4.
“Within 90 minutes, they spotted something on the lake bottom that they believed could be Hines,” the statement from police explains.
Two days later, the RCMP’s dive team recovered a body, and dental records later confirmed it was Hines.
“I am relieved that with the help of the Ralstons, we were able to bring some peace and closure to Tom's family and friends," Vander Helm wrote.
"Tom's parents were very thankful for everyone who assisted in locating their son."
