People Found Dead Near The Canada-US Border Include A Child & Police Say An Infant Is Missing
It's believed that two families were trying to enter the U.S. illegally from Canada.
Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service vehicle.
Police have revealed that the six people who were found dead in the water near the Canada-U.S. border were from two families and an infant is still believed to be missing.
This article contains content that may be upsetting to some of our readers.
In a press conference that was held on Friday, March 31, Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service Deputy Chief of Police Lee-Ann O'Brien provided an update about the bodies that were recovered from a marsh area.
Six deceased individuals were found on Thursday, March 30, in the water in Tsi Snaihne, which is located in Akwesasne, Quebec.
Akwesasne is located on the St. Lawrence River near Cornwall, Ontario, and the border with New York state.
"The six individuals are believed to be from two families, one of Romanian descent and the other believed to be citizens of India," O'Brien said.
Five adults were found dead, along with one child under the age of three who was a Canadian citizen.
The Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service's marine unit had started a search on Friday morning with the help of the Sûreté du Québec and the Hogansburg Akwesasne Volunteer Fire Department.
Police think that there is an infant from the Romanian family who still hasn't been located and so the search will continue.
"All are believed to have been attempting illegal entry into the U.S. from Canada," O'Brien said.
An investigation into the circumstances surrounding these deaths is still underway but police said there is no threat to the public.
The Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service is working with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to help identify the people who died.
O'Brien asked anyone with information about what happened to contact the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service at 613-575-2340.
Police had first shared news of this incident on March 30, after the first body was recovered during an air search at around 5 p.m. local time that day.
Akwesasne is a Mohawk community whose territory encompasses what is also called Quebec and Ontario in Canada and New York state in the U.S.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.