Six bodies recovered from the St. Lawrence River: Akwesasne Mohawk Police

The bodies of six people, including a child, were found in the St. Lawrence River Thursday afternoon after an aerial search involving the Canadian Coast Guard, Akwesasne Mohawk Police said.

CTV News confirmed that the deceased child was found with a Canadian passport.

The police department said the first body was found around 5 p.m. in a swamp at Tsi Snaihne (Snye) in Akwesasne, Mohawk territory that straddles Quebec, Ontario and New York state.

Akwesasne Mohawk Police said they would ask the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) for air support to help with their investigation.

Police are awaiting autopsy results to determine the cause of death of the six people who died.

“Police are currently attempting to identify the deceased and determine their status in Canada. There is no threat to the public at this time,” police said in a news release.

Major Trevor Reid, spokesman for the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) in Trenton, said a crew aboard a Canadian Armed Forces Griffon helicopter discovered an overturned boat in the area where the body.

Police confirmed the discovery of the bodies followed a search for a missing person which also began on Thursday.

The investigation is ongoing.