Akwesasne: Bodies of two more migrants found, bring total dead to eight

Police say the bodies of eight migrants have been retrieved from the waters off the Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne, straddling the Canada - U.S. border. The people whose bodies were recovered Thursday and Friday consisted of two families of Romanian and Indian origins who were likely trying to enter the U.S. illegally, police said Friday.

Police say the bodies of eight migrants have been retrieved from the waters off the Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne, straddling the Canada - U.S. border. The bodies, recovered Thursday and Friday, consisted of two families of Romanian and Indian origins who were likely trying to enter the U.S. illegally, police said Friday. Two children are among the dead.

On Friday morning, Akwesasne Mohawk Police said six bodies were found in a marsh area during an aerial search with the Canadian Coast Guard. One of them was a young child, who was found with a Canadian passport, police told CTV News Thursday. The child was a member of the Romanian family.

Officials provided a second update to the media Friday afternoon, saying the two additional bodies have been recovered. One is an infant, who was a Canadian citizen of Romanian descent. The second was a woman who was an Indian national.

The bodies, which haven't been officially identified, were found in Tsi Snaihne (Snye) in Akwesasne, a Mohawk territory that straddles Quebec, Ontario and New York state.

"All are believed to have been attempting illegal entry into the U.S. from Canada," said Akwesasne deputy police chief Lee-Ann O'Brien.

They were discovered as the result of a search for another missing person that also started Thursday. 

Casey Oakes, 30, was last seen Wednesday boarding a small, light blue vessel departing from the east end of Cornwall Island, in the St. Lawrence. Oakes remains missing and police say they are continuing to search the waterways for him.