Manitoba RCMP has confirmed the identities of two boys who were swept into fast-moving rapids at Nutimik Lake over the weekend, as the search enters its fifth day. A police spokesperson identified the boys as brothers Aaron Au Ramirez, 13, and Maximo Au Ramirez, 10. Mounties previously said they received a report of a possible drowning near Sturgeon Falls Trail in Nutimik Lake, located in Whiteshell Provincial Park, at 12:40 p.m. on July 18. Officers responded immediately alongside local fire crews and paramedics and determined the boys had been swept into Sturgeon Falls, about 110 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. Police believe the younger brother fell into the water first and that the older boy went in after to rescue him. RCMP officers from the Lac du Bonnet detachment, the Hutterian Emergency Aquatic Response Team, and the Manitoba RCMP Marine Unit remain on scene, searching the water and shoreline with the help of drones. As the search stretches on, the boys’ parents have been staying at Nutimik Lodge, a nearby outfitter, along with their godmother and godfather. Lodge owner Allison Baker-Thiessen, who runs the property with her husband, Harry Thiessen, said the family has been there since Saturday. “Emotions are definitely high,” she said. “They’re hurting. They’re struggling, and you know what? This is something that is not going to go away.” Baker-Thiessen said an outpouring of volunteers turned out on the water and along the shoreline Wednesday. “There’s boats all over the water,” she told CTV News on Wednesday afternoon. “Some people are walking shorelines. Some friends of families are just coming in to do wellness checks on them.” She said crews from the Rosenort Fire Department came to assist, as did Clandeboye Fire and Rescue, which also helped out Tuesday. Turtle Island Aquatic Response, a specialized search-and-recovery team based out of Bunibonibee Cree Nation in northern Manitoba, was also on scene. “They started at early hours in the morning, and they go right until about 10 o’clock at night,” Baker-Thiessen said. “They’d like to even stay out later. It’s just weather permitting and the waves permitting.” Despite their grief, Baker-Thiessen said the family has expressed deep gratitude for the response from people who travelled from outside the region to help. “They cannot thank each and every person from EMS to businesses to the cottagers to community members to people that are not even part of the community,” she said. Baker-Thiessen and her husband have set up a GoFundMe for the family of the boys. As of Wednesday evening, over $53,000 has been raised from more than 600 donations. RCMP had no updates on the search as of Wednesday afternoon, a spokesperson said. In 2023, a 12-year-old boy from Winnipeg drowned after falling into Sturgeon Falls, and a 38-year-old woman also drowned at the same site last June. Baker-Thiessen said she and her husband have already been in touch with Manitoba Parks about making the area safer, and plan to meet with the provincial government once the search concludes and the family has some closure. “There is and will be change that is going to happen for safety measures,” she said. “There just needs to be safety things put into place to make it a safe, happy place.” Baker-Thiessen said Sturgeon Falls Trail starts at the campground’s main road and leads to a suspension bridge, where hikers can continue on toward the falls. The full trail takes about 45 minutes to hike one way, she said. “None of us want the trails closed down,” she said. “We just want the trail to be safer for everybody. It’s a beautiful trail to be on.”
