RCMP in Alberta say an underwater recovery team, with the help of police and firefighters, have recovered the bodies of a family that were last seen before Christmas on a side-by-side utility terrain vehicle. The RCMP logo is seen outside the force's 'E' division headquarters in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday, March 16, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
ALBERTA BEACH, Alta. – RCMP in Alberta say an underwater recovery team, with the help of police and firefighters, have found the bodies of a family that were last seen before Christmas on a side-by-side utility terrain vehicle.
Police had been looking for Kelly and Laura Pelsma and their eight-year-old son, Dylan, since they were reported missing Christmas Day when they were overdue to attend a function.
They hadn’t been heard from since Dec. 23, and friends have said they were last seen in the Birchwood Estates area of Alberta Beach on a side-by-side vehicle.
The community is approximately 45 minutes northwest of Edmonton.
RCMP say they continued search-and-rescue efforts Tuesday in an area near the Alexis Bridge, off Range Road 40A, and they call the loss of the entire family “truly devastating over the holidays.”
Mounties are reminding outdoor enthusiasts ice should be at least 15 centimetres thick for a person to walk or skate on, 20 centimetres for a group of people, and 25 centimetres for snowmobiling or using off-highway vehicles on.
The bodies have been taken to the Chief Medical Examiner’s office in Edmonton where an autopsy will be conducted later this week.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 26, 2023.
