The RCMP's Saskatoon Historical Case Unit conducted their first boat search of the South Saskatchewan River late last month.

Since 2000, the unit has been conducting air searches of the river in search of people believed to have died in the river.

Although no remains were found in the search , Corporal Simon Pillay with the mountie's Historical Case Unit says they learned a great deal about the South Saskatchewan.

"We did find places where things gather, where the current slows down and things get stuck in little pockets, but the problem with this river is that it changes every year. Depending on water levels and the way things are flowing, the river looks different summer after summer, so there's nothing you can particularily go back to, but we did see a lot of value in conducting a search like this."

Back in 2005 a man jumped into the river within the city of Saskatoon. His remains were located the following April near Nipawin. Pillay says it shows the river can transport remains quite a distance. "There's no real scientific way to say if a body goes in here, this is where it will arrive. At the end what it shows us is that a body can travel a huge distance, and perhaps even further if left to its own devices."

The team left from Saskatoon on June 25th and went 248 kilometres north to where the South Saskatchewan and North Saskatchewan Rivers meet.

From 1986 to as recent as last December, 5 people are still unaccounted for, and are believed to have died in the river.

From top to bottom:

Hamza Alsharief: Last seen 2011-12-14                                 

Gordon Harvey: Last seen 2008-07-14

Marc April: Last seen: 1987-01-31                                           

Preston Waldner: Last seen 2006-07-23