Northern community searches for man who may have fallen through ice

Volunteers are searching for a man near La Ronge, Sask., who may have fallen through the ice.

Thirty-six-year-old Billy Taylor was last seen on the evening of Dec. 17, leaving Fox Point on Lac La Ronge, heading to the town of La Ronge on his snowmobile. 

Lac La Ronge Indian Band Chief Tammy Cook-Searson said residents and RCMP in the surrounding communities are helping with the search. She spoke with Taylor's family.

"It's very difficult for the family right now. It's very, very difficult not knowing," she said. "Just not knowing and they need all the support they can get."

Kandis Riese, a resident of La Ronge, used a drone to help searchers see more of the large area.  

"Just being up a little bit — 20 metres, 15 metres or so might get a better view of what's happening," she said.

Searchers cleared the ice surface with snowmobiles and quads equipped with blades. Ice augers were used to drill into the ice. Then pumps and hoses sprayed the ice, making it possible to see through.

The teams are also using underwater lights and equipment to search. When they need to warm up from the search, they go into ice shelters.

Cook-Searson said Taylor is an experienced hunter and trapper with exceptional outdoor survival skills.