A snowmobile rider from Grunthal has now been lost in Whiteshell Provincial Park for two consecutive nights and search efforts are increasing in their intensity.

50-year-old Danny Lemay left Pinewood Lodge near Dorothy Lake Sunday evening to retrieve a sled that broke down earlier that day. During his mission, he became disoriented and attempted to head back before locating his damaged sled. His last contact with anyone was a cellphone call made at 9:30 PM, at which point he declared himself lost and estimated he was roughly ten minutes away from the lodge.

Since his disappearance, RCMP, Search and Rescue crews, and dozens of snowmobile riders from across the province have banded together in an effort to find him. Among them is Wayne Lemay, Danny’s brother.

“We are not really sure what to make of it all,” said Lemay just before search parties left the staging area at Pinewood Lodge this morning. “He headed out sledding on his own, he was out after dark, and he got lost so any number of things could have happened. We are not trying to speculate, we are just focusing on trying to find him.”

Lemay describes his brother as “resourceful” and “creative” and believes he would have the skills to survive the past two mild nights, still, he does not want to get his hopes up prematurely.

“Everybody is just in ‘go mode’, it is all business here right now,” he says, "We are just trying to keep everyone safe, and manage the search efficiently and effectively.”

Snowmobilers Of Manitoba (Snoman) Incorporated Executive Director Yvonne Rideout has been helping coordinate some of the search efforts from her headquarters in Winnipeg. According to Rideout, Monday’s search crews examined the region where Danny was thought to have been located. She says there have been no promising leads in the search efforts so far and there is a growing concern among those involved.

“We are just hoping at this point, that he stayed nearby his sled and that someone will find him.”

Rideout says their search radius will continue to expand until Danny is found.

Lemay, meanwhile, says he is thankful for all the support he and his family have received in the past 48 hours.

“We appreciate all of the heartfelt concern that everyone has expressed, and we are especially grateful for the commitment and generosity of those who do know Danny and the strangers who are now involved in this.”