Nova Scotia

Fishermen find body of missing canoeist in Yarmouth County

Fishermen discovered the body of 69-year-old Kenneth Surette on Saturday morning. Surette was last seen canoeing nearly a week ago. His boat and the body of his paddling partner were found earlier this week.

Kenneth Surette, 69, was last seen paddling around Morris Island

The body of missing canoeist was found Saturday near Morris Island, N.S. (CBC)

A group of fishermen found the body of missing canoeist Kenneth Surette on Saturday in coastal waters off Yarmouth County.

A search for Surette, 69, began Tuesday after the body of an unnamed woman was discovered along the shoreline of Morris Island, N.S.

RCMP have said the pair were paddling together.

Search and rescue crews scoured the area for two days and found their canoe on the morning of Jan. 13, also near Morris Island. Surette's body was recovered from the water near where his boat was found.

RCMP Sgt. Andrew Joyce said it was "very, very fortunate" to have located the body, given how much tides and currents can move things around in coastal waters.

The formal search was called off mid-week and turned over to the RCMP as a missing persons case, but Joyce said some local fishermen never stopped searching.

Joyce said the RCMP investigation will continue at least until the provincial medical examiner completes an autopsy. RCMP are not classifying Surette's death as suspicious.