Brian Dean Esmoil was 23 when he and three companions from Independence, Iowa, set out on an ambitious canoe expedition in northern Manitoba. The four left Leaf Rapids on August 17, 1981, and kept a logbook showing they had traveled for weeks through remote waterways toward Churchill. The last entries place them at a trapper’s cabin on Button Bay on September 12.

Investigators concluded the men left Button Bay and attempted the crossing to Churchill. Although the lights of Churchill could reportedly be seen, the actual distance was about 15 to 20 miles across Hudson Bay, with swells around five feet and strong, rapidly changing tides. Three of the canoeists — Joseph Mason, Bradley Esmoil, and John Daniels — were recovered; Brian was not found and was presumed drowned. Searches were hampered by severe weather and were suspended on September 28.

What happened to Brian after the group left the cabin remains unresolved. Does anyone have information about the expedition, the Button Bay area in 1981, or memories of that search?