On June 19, just before 8 p.m., La Ronge RCMP received a report of a missing 14-year-old male.
The boy was reported to have been travelling across Bigstone Road on the Lac La Ronge Indian Band and was not seen since 4 p.m. that day. Family members made efforts to locate him, but were unsuccessful.
The Canadian Rangers were deployed and La Ronge RCMP assisted them with the search.
At approximately 10:15 p.m., a Canadian Ranger located the male approximately three kilometers from where he had entered the forested area along Bigstone Road. The male was reported to not have sustained any serious injuries and was taken to his family.
“We are fortunate to have an excellent partnership with the Canadian Rangers,” said Acting La Ronge Detachment Commander Josh Hallett, “The Rangers have local expertise of the area and are able to gather a large number of searchers quickly. In this instance, the Rangers were familiar with the wooded area. It was critical the youth was located before dark, as he had no overnight supplies or equipment. We are thankful for the successful outcome and want to acknowledge what a big support the Rangers have been on this and many other searches in the north.”
According to their Government of Canada website, the Canadian Rangers are a part of the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves working in remote, isolated and coastal regions of Canada. They provide lightly-equipped, self-sufficient mobile forces to support CAF national security and public safety operations within Canada. They regularly train alongside other CAF members to remain prepared.
Their motto is ‘Vigilans,’ meaning ‘The Watchers.’
Some of the ways they protect Canada include:
Conducting patrols;
Reporting unusual activities or sightings;
Collecting local data for the CAF;
Performing sovereignty or national security duties;
Assisting in search and rescue efforts;
Assisting with natural disasters such as forest fires and floods.
The current number of Canadian Rangers is about 5,000, living in more than 200 communities. Rangers speak 26 different languages and dialects, many Indigenous.
The Canadian Rangers are divided into five Canadian Ranger Patrol Groups (CRPGs), each based in different remote, isolated and coastal communities across Canada.
1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (Nunavut, Yukon Territory and Northwest Territories)
2nd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (Québec)
3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (Ontario)
4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba)
5th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (Newfoundland and Labrador)
