A 52-year-old man is dead after what rescuers say was a tragic swimming accident on West Hawk Lake over the weekend.

RCMP Manitoba says that officers from the Falcon Lake detachment were called to the lake for reports of a possible drowning around 6:40 p.m. Saturday.

Two men, 52 and 51 from Winnipeg, had jumped off a pontoon into the lake and immediately began having difficulty in the water, the RCMP says in a release. Police say that others on the boat threw life jackets to the men, but the 52-year-old male was not able to reach it in time and was seen going under and not resurface.

Officers from Falcon Lake RCMP, as well as members of Manitoba Conservation and the local fire department, searched the water in the area but were unable to locate the victim.

The Hutterian Emergency Aquatic Response Team (HEART) attended and conducted an underwater search. They were able to locate the body of the man and recovered it at approximately 4:20 a.m. Sunday.

Listen: One family impacted by HEART shares their story

"Last night HEART responded to a desperate plea for help from a Winnipeg family who had lost a loved one in West Hawk Lake in a swimming tragedy," HEART writes on its Facebook page.

"After searching through the night, we were able to locate the victim and with the help of the RCMP, he was recovered from a depth of 145 feet."

HEART says that they are grateful for the prayers of others who pray for their safety and guidance, and are now asking people to pray for the family of the victim.

"We thank you for your prayers and support. Please continue praying for this family as they now have to try to find healing," the pst says.

Falcon Lake RCMP continue to investigate.

HEART is made up of a group of volunteers dedicated to recovering drowning victims for families. Recently, another family impacted by HEART's work has begun a campaign to raise funds for new equipment for HEART.

Related Stories