Vehicle found in Quebec river belongs to man reported missing in 1988
Dive team specialized in missing persons cases found vehicle in water Sunday
Police in Deux-Montagnes, Que., confirmed on Monday that one of the vehicles found in the Mille-Îles River, off the shores of the municipality, belongs to Robert Saint-Louis, a Laval resident who has been missing since 1988.
Jean-Philippe Labbé, a spokesperson for La Régie de police du Lac des Deux-Montagnes, said Saint-Louis's vehicle was retrieved from the water at around 7 p.m. on Monday.
"Objects were also found in the vehicle, which lead us to believe the bones found could be those of Mr. Saint-Louis, who is missing," Labbé said.
He estimates that river waters where the vehicles were spotted are about 18 metres deep.
Labbé said there could be as many as seven vehicles in the river near the boat ramp and that they will also be pulled out of the water. Police will examine them to see whether they were just dumped in the river, involved in a crime or connected to a another missing persons case.
Divers from Exploring with a Mission, a non-profit organization that specializes in missing persons cases and detecting vehicles underwater, contacted local police on Sunday after discovering a beige 1980 Jeep Cherokee Chief near the Croissant du Grand-Moulin, similar to the one Saint-Louis was driving.
The two divers, who document their work on their YouTube channel, were searching the Mille-Îles River at the request of Saint-Louis's daughter. They said they serve the families of people reported missing.
They conducted their search where Saint-Louis used to go fishing, as he lived nearby in Laval, according to information provided to them by Saint-Louis's family members.
The divers, Australian Dan Pritchard and American Bill McIntosh, said they found what might be human bones inside the vehicle.
The case is being handled jointly by Deux-Montagnes police, the Service de police de Laval and the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).
On Sunday, SQ divers were working in the Mille-Îles River from 7 p.m. until nightfall.
Labbé noted that family members of Saint-Louis are on site and police are keeping them informed.
A security perimeter was set up by police on Sunday, and they are currently investigating the area to confirm information obtained by the divers who made the discovery.
Based on reporting by Lauren McCallum and Radio-Canada's Anne Marie Lecomte