On November 25, 1999, 45-year-old Mary Bella Sinclair from Lake St. Martin, Manitoba, boarded a single-engine Cherokee 140 aircraft in Poplar River, destined for the Fairford First Nation. She was accompanied by her 19-year-old daughter, Katy Lynn Mitchell. The pilot of the small plane was 66-year-old Milton Menzies of Fairford, a retired Air Canada pilot who regularly flew to northern Manitoba for missionary work. The flight, which should have been routine for the experienced pilot, took a tragic turn over the vast and icy expanse of Lake Winnipeg. At approximately 10:30 in the morning, Menzies sent out two distress calls, reporting engine trouble. In the first call, he indicated he was attempting to reach Reindeer Island; the second, more desperate, call confirmed the plane was going down into the water.
An extensive air search was launched almost immediately. Two RCMP Twin Otter aircraft were already in the area and responded quickly to the distress calls.
A Canadian Forces Hercules rescue plane that was training nearby was also deployed right away and searched the area around Reindeer Island for seven hours before needing to refuel. Despite the rapid response of search and rescue teams, the efforts were severely hampered by the treacherous conditions of the lake. A significant amount of ice on the water made it impossible for boats to conduct a surface search. The aerial search continued, but as time passed, hope of finding survivors began to fade.
In the days and months that followed, the families of Mary Bella Sinclair, Katy Lynn Mitchell, and Milton Menzies were left with unanswered questions. All three individuals are presumed to have perished in the crash, either from the impact or from drowning in the frigid waters of Lake Winnipeg. An obituary for Mary and her daughter Katy expressed the deep sadness of their family. In August of the following year, a jacket belonging to Katy Mitchell was found on the shore of Reindeer Island, a somber discovery that brought a renewed sense of grief to the family. The discovery prompted further search efforts organized by Mary's husband and Katy's father, with as many as 100 volunteers from nearby communities participating. Despite these efforts, the plane and its occupants have never been recovered. The disappearance of Mary Bella Sinclair, alongside her daughter and the pilot, remains a tragic aviation accident, a story of a journey that ended in the icy depths of a vast Canadian lake, leaving behind a legacy of loss and unanswered questions for their loved ones.Last Seen: Nov 25, 1999
