American divers tackle Quebec cold cases

A group of volunteer divers from the United States and Australia, called Exploring with a Mission, is in Quebec this summer to help solve a series of missing persons cases. So far, at least two cases have seen significant progress, with vehicles and possibly even the remains of the victims being discovered. But who are these divers, and how do they manage to solve mysteries that are years, or even decades, old?

What is Exploring with a Mission?

Exploring with a Mission is a non-profit organization based in the United States, founded by American Bill McIntosh and Australian Dan Pritchard. The team specializes in missing persons cases where individuals have disappeared along with their vehicles. They are equipped to locate vehicles submerged in lakes and rivers. Since 2018, they have been documenting their efforts on their YouTube channel. To date, the group has reportedly helped solve 39 cases. According to a video shared on YouTube, they plan to focus on 45 cases this year in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada, including Quebec.

Two vehicles found, bodies to be identified

The Exploring with a Mission divers arrived in Quebec on July 8. Within just a few days, they located the vehicle of Yvon Guévin, a 75-year-old man who went missing in 2014. The car was found at the bottom of the Saint-François River in Pierreville, near Sorel-Tracy. Later that weekend, they discovered four more vehicles in the Rivière des Mille Îles, including the car of Robert St-Louis, a Laval resident who disappeared in 1988. A body was found in Mr. Guévin's vehicle, and bones were discovered in Mr. St-Louis's car. Authorities will confirm whether these remains belong to the two victims. The team also investigated the case of Mélissa Blais, a 34-year-old mother from Yamachiche who vanished in 2017, but they were unable to make progress in her case.

Effective volunteers

How do the volunteers of Exploring with a Mission succeed where law enforcement has struggled? According to their YouTube videos, individuals who go missing with their vehicles are typically found within 8 km (5 miles) of their homes. The divers gather information from families to better understand the victims' routines and identify specific areas of waterways to search. They then use specialized sonar equipment to conduct their explorations. Stéphane Luce, founder of Meurtres et disparitions irrésolues du Québec (MDIQ), has stated in interviews that police could benefit from adopting the techniques used by Exploring with a Mission.