Cochrane Mounties are investigating a fatality believed to be caused by an animal attack in the area of Waiparous Village.

On May 4, 2021, at 11:57 p.m. the RCMP received a report of a missing man. Corporal Troy Savinkoff with the Cochrane RCMP says that the unfortunate call was from the concerned wife, whose husband hadn't returned home from an early evening hike. 

"He was last seen earlier in the evening and he was going for a hike in the Waiparous Village area," says Savinkoff. "She was concerned that she had not heard from him."

Officers conducted the initial search which included Police Dog Service and CPS HAWCS helicopter.

At approximately 2:14 a.m. police were successful in locating the missing man just off of Moss trail near Waiparous Creek.

"Unfortunately when we located him he was deceased," says Savinkoff.  "There was no efforts made to call EMS to assist on this one."

RCMP has tentatively identified the deceased man as the missing 59-year-old male from Waiparous.

Savinkoff says that the death is being investigated as an animal attack.

"There were signs that  -- we do believe it was an animal attack," says Savinkoff. "We called in Fish and Wildlife, we're not at the stage yet where we can positively say, but it certainly has some signs that it could have been a bear attack."

Fish and Wildlife will be conducting an investigation to further determine what kind of animal or animals were involved.