CBC.ca

Freezing death outrages northern mayor

Tue Nov 3, 9:44 PM

SASKATCHEWAN (CBC) - The mayor of a northern Saskatchewan community is blaming reckless partying for the freezing death of a 31-year-old man on the weekend.

"Some young people threw him out of the house at about 6:30 in the morning for no explained reasons," Buffalo Narrows Mayor Bobby Woods told CBC News on Tuesday. "He had to fight with the elements because he had no shoes on and no jacket and it was snowing and blowing and quite cold."

The local RCMP detachment was told about a missing man at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Thirty minutes later, a body was found on a walking trail in the village.

Buffalo Narrows is a community of 1,081 about 500 kilometres north of Saskatoon.

Woods said the man's death is especially tragic as he left behind a spouse and two adopted children.

"It is difficult when something like that happens," Woods said. "We look at it as another useless death because these things could have been prevented."

Woods said such incidents happen far too frequently.

"We face those things on an annual basis," Woods said. "It's just senseless. These things shouldn't happen."

The RCMP said foul play is not suspected in the man's death, but officers are continuing to interview people. The name of the dead man has not been released.