Bodies of Lower Mainland men recovered from Merritt area lake

The bodies of two Lower Mainland anglers were recovered from Stump Lake along Highway 5A between Merritt and Kamloops.

Their bodies were recovered by the RCMP Underwater Recovery Team from Stump Lake today, June 29, according to a release from the Merritt RCMP.

The investigation is now being led by the B.C. Coroner Service.

"Our hearts go out to the families that are grieving after this tragedy," RCMP Staff Sgt. Joshua Roda said in the release. "We want to thank the public for all the information they provided during the search."

The fishermen, who were from the Lower Mainland, were reported missing on the lake during the early hours of June 20.

Hours earlier, friends saw them fishing late into the evening on an aluminum boat. When they didn’t return after dark, friends began looking for them, and police were called after they couldn’t be found.

In subsequent search efforts, debris belonging to the fisherman was found floating on the lake.

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