The Yukon's coroner has officially ruled that a man whose body was found floating in Nisutlin Bay during the summer died of accidental drowning.

The body of Joseph Adelard Tremblay (aka Adelard Joseph Tremblay) was found July 12 near Teslin.

The 53-year-old man had last been seen about a month earlier, on June 13, paddling a red canoe east of the Teslin Bridge toward the Nisutlin Delta.

When he didn't show up for work two days later, concerned co-workers called the RCMP.

In her inquiry report released Wednesday afternoon, chief coroner Kirsten Macdonald found that "since there were no witnesses to the event, it is unknown as to what caused the deceased to enter the water.”

She notes that Tremblay was not under the influences of any drugs or alcohol. He was also not wearing a lifejacket.

"The water in the river was high and murky from the spring thaw. The area where the canoe was found was complicated with willows, driftwood and other organic debris,” the report says.

The water temperature at the time was six degrees Celsius.

According to Macdonald, an autopsy on Tremblay's body found fluid in the sphenoid sinuses (a finding sometimes seen in drowning cases).

Tremblay was also found to have had atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, a hardening and narrowing of the blood vessels which supply blood to the heart and body.

This is a fairly common condition, and it is "unclear how much this condition contributed in this particular case,” the findings say.

Tremblay had moved to Teslin from Thunder Bay, Ont., in May.

Police, search and rescue personnel and community members in Teslin co-ordinated a search that made use of a Twin Otter plane, police service dog and boats belonging to all three parties.

In the report, Macdonald articulates the importance of wearing a life jacket.

"Wearing of lifejackets or personal floatation devices is the most effective tool for reducing boat-related drowning. Incidents on the water can happen very quickly and without warning.

"It is not enough to simply have a lifejacket/PFD within reach.”