19.16°C Vancouver

Dec 27, 2023 3:32 PM - The Canadian Press

Alberta family of three reported missing on Christmas found dead RCMP

Share On
alberta-family-of-three-reported-missing-on-christmas-found-dead-rcmp
Mounties are reminding outdoor enthusiasts ice should be at least15 centimetres thick for a person to walk or skate on, 20 centimetres for a group of people, and 25 centimetres for snowmobiling or using off-highway vehicles on.

ALBERTA BEACH, Alta. - RCMP in Alberta say an underwater recovery team, with the help of police and firefighters, have found the bodies of a family that were last seen before Christmas on a side-by-side utility terrain vehicle.

Police had been looking for Kelly and Laura Pelsma and their eight-year-old son, Dylan, since they were reported missing Christmas Day when they were overdue to attend a function. They hadn't been heard from since Dec. 23, and friends have said they were last seen in the Birchwood Estates area of Alberta Beach on a side-by-side vehicle.

The community is approximately 45 minutes northwest of Edmonton. RCMP say they continued search-and-rescue efforts Tuesday in an area near the Alexis Bridge, off Range Road 40A, and they call the loss of the entire family "truly devastating over the holidays."

Mounties are reminding outdoor enthusiasts ice should be at least15 centimetres thick for a person to walk or skate on, 20 centimetres for a group of people, and 25 centimetres for snowmobiling or using off-highway vehicles on.

Latest news

poilievre-unveils-action-plan-to-combat-extortion-during-surrey-visit
BCAug 20, 2025

Poilievre unveils action plan to combat extortion during Surrey visit

Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre unveiled a three-point action plan to combat extortion-related crime during a press conference held today at the Royal King Banquet Hall in Surrey -the same location where a shooting incident took place on July 21, 2025. Flanked by Abbotsford–South Langley MP Sukhman Gill, and candidates Sukh Pandher and Jassie Sahota (a police officer), Poilievre said extortion-related crimes have surged by 330% under Liberal rule. He attributed this rise to the repeal of mandatory jail terms for gun-related extortion under Bills C-5 and C-75. “Extortion-related
police-say-man-charged-after-alberta-youth-launch-catch-a-predator-scheme
AlbertaAug 20, 2025

Police say man charged after Alberta youth launch 'catch a predator' scheme

Alberta RCMP say they have arrested and charged a Calgary man who, it was later determined, had been the focus of a ``catch a predator'' sting operation hatched by a group of youngsters. Mounties say the situation came to light in Airdrie on Monday night when a 12-year-old boy was abducted in a car only to escape at a stoplight and call police. The suspect, a 37-year-old, refused to stop for police and was later arrested at a Calgary residence. Subsequently, police said they learned the suspect had been targeted by at least seven youths in a ``catch a predator'' scheme. The you
some-evacuation-orders-alerts-linked-to-vancouver-island-wildfire-lifted
BCAug 20, 2025

Some evacuation orders, alerts linked to Vancouver Island wildfire lifted

Some of the evacuation orders and alerts linked to the Mount Underwood wildfire on Vancouver Island have been lifted or downgraded, as firefighters report "minimal" behaviour from the blaze. The Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, the City of Port Alberni and the Tseshaht First Nation jointly issued an update at 8 a.m. saying evacuation orders are lifted for the China Creek Campground and Headquarters Bay, which remain on evacuation alert. The update also says that the City of Port Alberni and the Tseshaht First Nation's reserves are no longer under alert. The Cowichan Valley Regional Distric
police-watchdog-investigates-after-vancouver-officer-shoots-man-dead
BCAug 20, 2025

Police watchdog investigates after Vancouver officer shoots man dead

British Columbia's police watchdog is investigating after a man was shot dead in an alleged confrontation with officers in Vancouver. The Independent Investigations Office says the shooting took place Tuesday afternoon in an East Vancouver neighbourhood. It says there was a dispute between two people, and one man had a weapon when police arrived. The man was shot by police and died at the scene despite life-saving efforts by emergency responders. Vancouver police say the two people involved were neighbours involved in an argument. Police say no officers or other people were injured, and no fur
AlbertaAug 20, 2025

Costs of Manitoba’s extreme wildfire season start to take shape, evacuations ongoing

The Manitoba government has signed a 30-million-dollar contract with the Canadian Red Cross for evacuee support and other services related to this year's wildfires. The recently disclosed contract is the first glimpse into the cost of this year's wildfire season, which provincial officials say is the most severe in at least 30 years. Finance Minister Adrien Sala (SAH'-lah) says it's still too early to estimate a final cost, and the government is committed to supporting people who need help. The Red Cross contract alone is worth more than half of the 50-million dollars the N-D-P gover

Related News