Edmonton police conduct annual river search for missing people

The Edmonton Police Service and several of its partnering organizations are conducting a sweep of the North Saskatchewan River, in an effort to recover any human remains that may have entered the river over the past year.

The search is led by the EPS Missing Persons Unit. This is an annual search that takes place each fall when river levels are at their lowest.

“The whole search itself is to locate any known or unknown remains found in the river here. So these might be missing persons that we’ve got reported to us as well as any that were unreported,” says Inspector Brent Dahlseide, with the Edmonton Police Service Major Crimes Branch.

“The North Saskatchewan is a major river that flows through many communities, and unfortunately, that does mean that human remains are recovered from the river and its environs each year,” says Sgt. Rebecca Wright, with the EPS Missing Persons Unit.

“This annual sweep gives us a chance to do a thorough search of the river and its valley before winter sets in, and potentially resolve some of our outstanding missing person files and bring resolution to families.”

This year, police are raising awareness of missing person Jeannine Ermineskin who has been missing since January 2022.

“We have continued to actively search for Jeannine, throughout the year here, so today is another step, or another portion in that investigation to search for Jeannine, and we are asking for the public’s help to raise the profile in that investigation once again,” says Inspector Dahlseide, with the Edmonton Police Service Major Crimes Branch.

Police issued photo of Jeannine Ermineskin, a missing Edmonton woman. (Photo Credit: Edmonton Police Service)

Ermineskin is described as an Indigenous female who stands 5’8” with blue eyes, long blond hair, and a thin build. She was 38 at the time of her disappearance and was last seen wearing a black jacket, black pants, and a red and white scarf. She was last seen on Jan. 6, 2022, and is known to frequent the downtown core.

Anyone with information about Jeannine Ermineskin or any missing person is asked to contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.p3tips.com/250.

The river search is a collaboration between EPS, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services, City of Edmonton park rangers, as well as local search and rescue organizations. EPS drones were also deployed.