Boy, 13, Helps Police Solve Case After Diving In Lake With GoPro
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A 13-year-old boy in Canada managed to help police solve the case of a woman who went missing almost three decades ago, after taking his GoPro camera for a dip in a lake.
Max Werenka was out on a boat on Griffin Lake near Revelstoke, British Columbia - an area he knows well, as his parents run a cabin business there.
After setting out with some guests staying at the lake, the group spotted what they believed to be a car submerged in about 16 feet of water - just 10ft off the side of the TransCanada Highway.
Thinking it could be an overturned vehicle, the family decided to call the Royal Canadian Mounted Police from Revelstoke, who arrived a few days later on 21 August.
Max's mum, Nancy Werenka, told CTV News: "We didn't think at the time there was much to it."
But it turned out there was quite a bit to it.
With young Max as their guide, the Mounties were taken out onto the water to take a look.
Max said: "We took them out in our boat, showed them the area where it was."
Then the teenager dove in, armed with his GoPro to record video footage of the underwater scenes in order to confirm it was, indeed, a car.
The RCMP returned with their dive team, who confirmed there was a body inside the vehicle.
Corporal Thomas Blakney said: "[The team] were able to dive down, obtain a license plate.
"It came back to a missing person case back in 1992."
The license plate search came through with the details of 69-year-old Janet Farris from Vancouver Island, who had disappeared when she was driving to Alberta 27 years ago.
The RCMP said they don't believe Farris' death was suspicious, but will continue to inspect the vehicle to see what might have gone wrong.
Praising Max for his 'outstanding' work in solving a case that had remained a mystery for so long, Blakney said: "The RCMP will probably be looking at this guy down the road for potential employment."
Max added: "If [it] was something that could have helped anyone, why not try?"
Thankfully, at least Janet's family now have some answers about what happened to her.
Her son, George, said: "After the first year, you just carry on. You come to live with it."
Following the discovery, George said he and his family finally have the closure they needed, and the 'end of the story'.
Featured Image Credit: Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Topics: World News, News, Canada
