Manitoba RCMP say the bodies of four people, including a baby, have been found near the Canada-U.S. border, with officers believing they died due to exposure to freezing temperatures during an attempted crossing into the United States.

Manitoba RCMP Assistant Commissioner Jane MacLatchy said on Wednesday morning U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers had apprehended a group of people who had crossed into the U.S. from Canada near Emerson. RCMP said one of the people apprehended had items that were meant for an infant, though there was no infant in the group.

RCMP received this information shortly after 9:20 a.m. on Wednesday, and began searching the area. Around 1:30 p.m., RCMP said officers found the bodies of three people on the Canadian side of the border about 10 kilometres east of Emerson.

MacLatchy said the bodies included an adult man and woman, and an infant. A fourth body, a boy believed to be in his mid-teens, was found a short while later, she said.

RCMP said all four bodies were found about 40 feet from the border.

A map provided by Manitoba RCMP shows the approximate area (circled in red) where the bodies of four people were found on Jan. 19, 2022. (Source: Manitoba RCMP)

“At this very early stage of the investigation, it appears that they all died due to exposure to the cold weather,” MacLatchy said, adding RCMP believe the four people are connected to the group that was apprehended on the U.S. side of the border.

MacLatchy said the RCMP investigators are working closely with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

She said it will take time to identify the names, ages and nationalities of the four people, adding an autopsy has been scheduled to confirm the cause of death. At this point, MacLatchy said investigators do not know how these four people got to Emerson.

“We are very concerned this attempted crossing may have been facilitated in some way and that these individuals, including an infant, were left on their own in the middle of a blizzard when the weather hovered around -35C factoring in the wind,” she said.

“These victims faced not only the cold weather, but also endless fields, large snowdrifts and complete darkness.”

MacLatchy said in past attempted border crossings, RCMP has seen organized groups involved.

She said RCMP officers are still searching the area for any more potential victims, but said as of Thursday, none have been found. She said due to very difficult terrain and deep snowdrifts, RCMP required all-terrain vehicles in the search.

Manitoba RCMP use all-terrain vehicles (pictured) during a search near the Canada-U.S. border on Jan. 19, 2022, where the bodies of four people, including a baby, were found. (Source: Manitoba RCMP)

“I also have a message to anyone who is thinking of crossing the border in Manitoba, either heading south or north – just don’t do it. Do not listen to anyone who tells you they can get you to your destination safely. They cannot,” MacLatchy said.

“I do understand that, for some, there may be a great need to get to another country, but this is not the way. You will be risking your life and the lives of the people you care about if you try it. We simply cannot have another tragedy of this magnitude in Manitoba or in Canada.”