The Lake Nipissing Search Blog

Thanks to a volunteer who requested to remain anonymous the following update is available for a search that was arranged for Thurs Sep 28.

-A total of 15 volunteers went up to North Bay however because of the weather and choppy waters no boats or dive teams were sent out. (One boat went out but turned back after 15min)

- Four seadoos were sent out instead to search the area around Lonely Island and the South shorline of the lake. (See photos below - previous posts)

-A helicopter participated in the search for a couple of hours searching the water surfaces and shorelines

-A dive team is scheduled to cover the area around Lonley Island for Friday.

Based on information from a volunteer who has been up at North Bay for most of the week the following update is provided:

-Hatzoloh had selected volunteers come up and provide searches on seadoos scanning the surface of the water and shorelines on Sun, Mon, and Tue.

-Hired locals on boats also conducted water surface and shoreline searches as well from Sun-Thurs.

-Three K9 units, privately hired and OPP, were out alternating searches until Wednesday.

-The OPP had boats with side Sonars out on the lake doing surface scans as well as scanning the bottom of the lake.

-Two alternating OPP dive teams were out until Wed searching suspected areas.

-On Wednesday and Friday (today) the OPP conducted an extensive aerial search of the entire lake and shoreline.

Thanks to Danny Edell for providing the update.

Nugget Staff
Monday, September 18, 2006 - 08:00

Local News - A report by a local boater describing what appeared to be a partially submerged body off Lonely Island, Saturday, prompted an intensive Ontario Provincial Police helicopter and watercraft search. OPP, volunteers and associates of the North American Jewish community have been looking for Eli Horowitz, 30, since he went missing on Lake Nipissing, Aug. 21. But with winds picking up wave action Sunday, there were no additional sightings, an OPP spokesman said.

There is another massive search scheduled for Sunday. It will focus on the same areas as last week. Shorline searches on foot and by boat. I only heard about this over shabbat so its possible that they may not have as many people as they hoped for. If anyone has info on it please keep us posted.

Nugget Staff
Friday, September 08, 2006 - 08:00 Local News -

A cash reward for the recovery of the body of Eli Horowitz, 30, has increased to $10,000 from $3,000.

David Stein, a paramedic with the Hatzolah organization and close friend of Horowitz, said not finding the body has been frustrating.

"Our community is trying to do whatever we can to find his body," Stein said, adding as many as 20 members of Hatzolah, a volunteer-based emergency medical service, continue to search daily. The search for Horowitz of Toronto and his father-in-law, Heine Mondrowitz, 56, of Richmond Hill, started Aug. 21 after the boat they had rented to go fishing and swimming on Lake Nipissing was found drifting unattended near LaVase River two hours later.

Mondrowitz's body was found five days later along the shores of Lonely Island by OPP underwater search and recovery personnel. "We're concentrating of course where his father-in-law's body was found, but at this time we're also searching the entire lake," Stein said. Ontario Provincial Police continue their search, aided by volunteers who have conducted extensive water, air and ground searches.

At this time, Hatzoloh will not be calling up any more volunteers. They have decided that since Eli's body has not surfaced yet they will focus their efforts to under water searches using sonar and divers.

Therefore, only boats will be going out at this time. They will have a few boats dedicated to scanning the surface of the lake with sonar and some more performing shoreline searches. When and if the sonar boats have detected something divers will then be sent in.

Hatzoloh and the family thank all the volunteers for all the help they provided over the last few difficult weeks.

Anonymous said...

I was up at the search yesteday. They had about 60 volunteers. It was very well organized. We were divided up into teams and we walked the entire search area, from north of North Bay, through Calendar Bay and deep into South Bay. All the Manitou Islands were also walked. About 7 local boats also went out with volunteers and they covered all the shoreline as well, and all the islands in South Bay.

Hatzoloh also rented an airboat (one of those boats that look like they come from the Florida Everglades- big fan in the back) which covered all the marshes around Calendar Bay and even went up the La Vase river.

I spoke to someone from hatzoloh afterward and he told me that their search and rescue people have said that because Eli has not come up yet, he will likely not come up by himself anymore. That's why Hatzoloh will be relying less on volunteers to walk the shorelines, rather they will focus on having professionals come in with sonar equipment and divers. A professional sonar and dive team was there yesterday.

Hatzoloh is still arranging volunteers for tomorrow. Call the Hatzoloh office or 416-633-6669 for more information.

In the end there will not be a bus leaving from bathurst and lawrence rather they are arranging cars to go up. This is preferred as they want people to drive to locations throughout the are to do the searches.

They will be doing primarily mass shoreline searches. Some boats will go out as well.

Hatzoloh currently has around 20-25 volunteers ready to go up to North Bay but they would like to get around 50. Anyone interested should contact the office at 416-398-2300.

They mentioned that some people are planning on just showing up with friends. Either way please contact them so they know to expect you.

Hatzoloh Toronto's search for Eli Horowitz, one of the men who remains missing in North Bay, continues. They are trying to organize a large-scale ground search for this coming Sunday (September 10, 2006). Hatzoloh will arrange for a bus to transport volunteers to and from North Bay.
There will be minyan and a search briefing on the bus.
Volunteers should bring comfortable shoes, food, water, a change of clothing and should be in good health.
If you, or anyone you know, are available to volunteer, please call the Hatzoloh office as soon as possible at (416) 398-2300.
Thank you.

Tuesday - for various reasons we only had six people go up to North Bay.

Two boats went out to do searches. Two people and a local went out on one boat covering areas to the west and south of the Inn and the other four went on another boat covering the areas to the east of the Waltonian Inn.

Our boat searched the surronding islands around Lonely Island and the shallow waters in that area as well.

We searched the shore lines of other islands to the south of Lonely Island and then performed an extensive three hour search of the entire southern shoreline.

We returned around 2:30.

In the meantime, locals on three seadoos went and searched areas throughout the lake in the morning and again in the afternoon.

While the other group was searching the western marsh areas, A volunteer searcher from Monsey sent out a team of sniffing dogs and divers to Callander Bay. They returned without success after an extensive 3hr dive search. (Click on photo to enlarge)



Wed. A group of 15 searchers came up from Toronto. Because the waters were choppy as a result of the previous night's storm no boats were sent out.

The group was split up into 5 search groups consisting of three searchers. The groups were sent to the rocky shorlines to the east and west of the Inn.

In the afternoon the groups were sent out once more to other areas to the east, west, and south west areas.

The schedule for today (Thurs) consisted of 14 volunteers going out on seven boats with locals. A large and significant area of the lake shoul be covered.

OPP continues search for missing boater on Lake Nipissing

To help people get an idea of what Lake Nipissing in North Bay Ontario looks like, I decided to upload some satellite photos from google maps. Click the photos for a larger image.









In this photo, the location of the Inn, where the boat was found, and Lonely Island are circled in yellow.