Stormy weather is being blamed after four people were stranded on Deschambault Lake this past weekend.

RCMP were contacted Friday night by family members who were concerned after four men in their thirties did not return from a fishing trip.

Sergeant Dion Eddy of the Deschambault Lake detachment says officers started making inquiries Friday night and search efforts continued into Saturday morning.

Eddy says their truck had become stuck in the snow about 6 km from the shore and had also run out of gas.

He says staying with the vehicle all night was a smart move because of the weather:

“The Saturday was still cold — minus 30s, plus wind.  The visibility was probably a mile, or so.  It is a good thing they stuck to their plan and stayed on Deschambault Lake — because if they went to other lakes, we wouldn’t know where they were.  They may have not been found as fast.”

Eddy says the four were getting cold by the time they were taken back to shore around 11:30 Saturday morning.

He says for anyone taking part in outdoor activities it is a good idea to take extra supplies, dress properly and be aware of changing weather conditions