Body recovered from St. Croix River after man fled police, swam toward U.S., RCMP say

RCMP divers have recovered a man's body from the St. Croix River, between St. Stephen, N.B., and Calais, Maine, after he allegedly fled from officers over the weekend and began swimming toward the U.S. border.

The Serious Incident Response Team, known as SIRT, has been asked to conduct an independent review of the incident, RCMP Cpl. Matthew Leblanc-Smith said.

It started on Saturday, shortly after 2:30 p.m., when RCMP members on patrol along Milltown Boulevard in St. Stephen spotted a man wanted on what are known as unendorsed warrants, according to Leblanc-Smith. These warrants require the individual to be detained and brought before a judge for a hearing, he said.

No information about the man, such as his name, age, or why he was wanted on warrants, has been released.

"As police approached the man, he fled and he was last seen entering the St. Croix River near King Street and Budd Avenue in St. Stephen, and began swimming toward the U.S. border," Leblanc-Smith said in an emailed statement Monday.

"While in mid-river, the individual appeared to struggle and then went underwater and did not resurface."

RCMP called in the U.S. Border Patrol, Canadian and U.S. Coast Guard, and local fire departments from St. Stephen and Calais to help with the search, Leblanc-Smith said.

They also deployed marine units and drones with thermal imaging, he said.

The St. Croix River varies in width between St. Stephen and Calais, from about 30 metres wide near the International Bridge and 45 metres wide farther downstream. It is about nine feet, or almost three metres, deep, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

On Sunday, the RCMP's underwater recovery team located the man's body near where he had entered the water, said Leblanc-Smith.

"Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the deceased during this difficult time," Leblanc-Smith said.

"As is standard practice, the RCMP has contacted the Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) to conduct an independent review of the incident."

SIRT investigates all matters that involve death, serious injury, sexual assault and intimate partner violence or other matters determined to be of a public interest that may have arisen from the actions of any police officer on or off duty.

The independent police watchdog agency investigates matters in both New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.