The body of a missing Saint John man was recovered in the water near the LaSalle Causeway in Kingston, Ont. after a four-day search.
Pte. Michal Beaman, 22, was training to become a line technician at the Canadian Force’s School of Communications and Electronics at the Royal Military College.
He was was missing since early Saturday morning.
The Ontario Provincial Police’s underwater search and recovery unit found Beaman’s body Wednesday, Capt. Derek Reid with the Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre said in a statement.
Not cause of death yet
His immediate family was notified, he said.
“Our condolences go out to Michal’s family, friends, and colleagues,” he said.
The cause of death is unknown.
The investigation is still underway, Reid said, and the forces will “not speculate on any aspect of this situation.”
Friends last saw him at nightclub
On Jan. 24, Beaman and his friends from the program went to a nightclub in downtown Kingston called the Spot.
“He was a few weeks into the course,” said Lt.-Col. Walter Gamblin, commandant of the School of Communications and Electronics. The course began in early January and was set to end in April.
His fellow soldiers last saw him inside the nightclub between 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m., Gamblin said.
“He decided to leave the bar and his course-mates lost track of him.”
Several media reports said surveillance cameras showed Beaman exiting the nightclub with a woman. Reports said the surveillance cameras show the two talking, the woman returning inside and Beaman leaving the area.
Seen outside RMC early Saturday
Gamblin could not confirm this because he has not seen the footage, but he said police were able to track Beaman’s path using several surveillance cameras in the downtown and near the LaSalle Causeway.
The last time Beaman is believed to have been seen on a surveillance camera is outside the Royal Military College campus early Saturday morning. The campus is on the opposite side of the causeway across the St. Lawrence River, 2.6 kilometres from downtown Kingston.
“Exactly where he went to, who he might have spoken to, who might have seen him — that’s part of the unknowns right now,” Gamblin said.
His fellow soldiers reported him missing to the Military Police on Saturday when they noticed he hadn’t returned to his room and couldn’t reach him by phone.
Family travelled to city
A formal investigation wasn’t launched until Sunday evening, after 48 hours had passed.
Robert and Nathalie Beaman, Michal’s parents, travelled from Saint John to Kingston and arrived on Monday. The military is providing accommodations for the Beamans at the CFB Kingston base.
“We are supporting them through making sure they are connected to the investigation [and] kept abreast of the search efforts,” Gamblin said earlier Wednesday.
“The family of our members is extremely important, especially in a case like this.”
Search efforts began Monday morning with police looking for Beaman in downtown Kingston and on CFB property, which includes the Royal Military College and nearby bases.
Searched by drone
Kingston Police used a drone to search along the shores of the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. Meanwhile, the OPP went diving along the shoreline of the Lasalle Causeway on Tuesday.
Around 300 soldiers searched the downtown and CFB Kingston property on Monday and Tuesday.
A search team was on standby Wednesday in case of a new development in the case, but the investigation moved from actively searching for Beaman to following leads and tips.
Beaman’s parents were not able to be interviewed Wednesday afternoon.
via Body of missing Saint John reservist found in water at Kingston, Ont. | CBC News
