Six People Found Dead Near Quebec Border In Akwesasne Marsh

Authorities in the region said an investigation is ongoing after six people were discovered dead in a marsh area on Thursday in Akwesasne, close to the border between Canada and the United States.

According to a Facebook post by the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, the first corpse was discovered at around 5:00 PM ET in a marsh near Tsi Snaihne (Snye) in Akwesasne during an aerial search by the Canadian Coast Guard.

Authorities are awaiting the outcomes of toxicology and post-mortem investigations to identify the likely cause of the fatalities, the statement added, Reuters reported.

The statement indicated police do no believe there is any threat to public safety.

Shawn Dulude, chief of the Akwesasne Mohawk Police, said he was unable to say anything about the countries of the other five.

Additionally, they stated that they would ask the Ontario Provincial Police air support teams and the Quebec Provincial Police for assistance.

The Canadian Coast Guard is assisting the Akwesasne Mohawk Police in conducting the inquiry, according to Dulude, reports Montreal Gazette.

A Coast Guard helicopter noticed the bodies in Canadian waters, he claimed.

An overturned boat was spotted in the water by a search and rescue helicopter team earlier in the day, according to an email from a Trenton Joint Rescue Coordination Centre spokesperson, CBS News reported.

East of the Kana:takon district in Akwesasne and the southern part of the community in the United States, on the southern bank of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, is where the bodies were discovered.

Casey Oakes, 30, was missing when the coast guard responded to an AMPS call early on Thursday.

Oakes has not been recognized as one of the people who died and is still missing based on the way the statement about the deceased people was written.

As the investigation goes on, more updates will be given, according to AMPS.