The RCMP are investigating the presumed drowning of an Alberta man in Drury Lake near Faro.

Shortly after midnight on Tuesday, Ross River-Faro RCMP were notified of a presumed drowning at Drury Lake, approximately 60 kilometres west of Faro.

Three men had been out snowmobiling on Drury Lake just after nightfall Monday when two of the men and their snowmobiles fell through the ice, police said Wednesday afternoon.

One man was able to make it out, and to safety. The other man was observed going under water, and did not resurface.

The identity of the missing man has not been released, but police confirmed he was a 36-year-old resident of Alberta.

His two companions travelled to a residence in Drury Creek and called for RCMP assistance.

The Yukon RCMP’s search and rescue co-ordinator was immediately engaged.

“Due to the remote location of the incident, poor visibility due to darkness, and unstable ice conditions, it was determined that the search would begin the following morning,” police said.

On Tuesday morning, officers and Yukon Search and Rescue, along with ice rescue technicians from the Whitehorse Fire Department, left Whitehorse via helicopter to conduct searches and recovery operations at Drury Lake.

At around 11 a.m., aerial and in-water searches of the area were conducted, but the body of the missing man was not located.

The RCMP have requested the assistance and technical expertise of the B.C. RCMP underwater recovery team to conduct further searches and advance the investigation.

Recovery operations are expected to take place later this week.

Police are reminding the public to exercise extreme caution when travelling on or near Yukon waterways, as not all waterways are frozen.

Avoid travelling after dark or in low-visibility conditions, check ice thickness and remain close to the shoreline.

“Also, make sure you have all the appropriate winter survival gear with you, including fire-starting materials, and a communication device – which should be kept on you at all times,” police advised.