Missing Soldier’s Body Found in Redwater Area

Master Corporal Richard Curnow was on a routine training run with teammates on the morning of May 5th.  He did

not arrive at the finish line.  His disappearance was a mystery and out of character for the soldier.

 There was a police search immediately after the disappearance, including 100 soldiers from his battalion in the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.  When the official search was called of, his family and friends continued to comb the area.  Thursday police announced that a body had been found.  Some reports indicate that the body had been found in the North Saskatchewan River near Redwater, Alberta, a community about 65 km (40 miles) northeast of Edmonton.  Police have identified the body as that of Master Corporal Richard Curnow.  The body was identified with dental records. 

Curnow started a training run with eight other soldiers, practicing for a competition later this year.  Curnow was a fit individual,  who should have had no difficulty completing the run.  Along the way teammembers chatted with him and there appeared to be no known problems.  Curnow was also very familiar with the area.  When Curnow did not arrive at the finish line his teammates contacted the police.  Foul play was ruled out from the beginning.  A search of the area produced no results.  Curnow’s car was still in the parking lot.

An autopsy has been completed on Curnow’s body and police said that the death was not criminal.  The cause of death was not revealed.

“Based on autopsy results and the investigation, the death has been deemed non-criminal, therefore the Edmonton Police Service will not be releasing the cause of death,” police said in a statement.

Curnow has had two tours in Afghanistan and was separated from his wife.  He had a three year old daughter.

Image via Wikipedia

He has been in the Canadian Forces since 2004.