Prince Albert RCMP detachment. Photo courtesy www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca
A band councillor from Muskoday is still reeling after stumbling upon a dead body earlier this week.
It’s a death that RCMP are deeming non-suspicious.
On Wednesday, Randy Bear was checking out tire tracks in the snow leading past a “no trespassing” sign on one of the band’s treaty land entitlement parcels, just a few kilometres outside of Prince Albert on Highway 3.
Companies had been using that area as a dumping ground, so Bear put his truck in four-wheel drive and drove up a hill leading to where garbage had previously been dumped.
When Bear and his friend, who he called Milt, saw a red truck, they thought they were going to catch someone in the act.
Instead, they discovered something very different.
“I could see something on the ground about two or three metres away from the cab door of the truck. As we got closer, I said to Milt, ‘Milt that’s a body,’” Bear said.
When they got closer they saw a body, and all signs indicated to Bear that his person had been there for awhile.
He then called 9-11 and talked to police, who came to investigate.
For Bear, it was an unsettling experience.
“I live alone, so I didn’t really feel like being alone at that time so I went back to PA and had a coffee and drove around a little bit, then I ended up going home. Didn’t have a real great sleep but I didn’t really think about it a whole lot,” he said.
Bear said he’s coping.
“I’ve travelled lots and I’ve been all over the place and I’ve seen a lot of things in my 60 years so nothing really surprises me.”
Saskatchewan RCMP confirms the sudden death is being treated as non-suspicious and they’ve turned it over to the Coroner’s Office. Mounties won’t be sharing the name of the deceased. Bear says there was an Alberta licence plate on the truck.