Larry Bennett -- Missing from Manitoba Since 1981

Details from NamUs**: "On September 25, 1981 at approximately 7:30 p.m., Lawrence (Larry) Bennett left Princess Harbour, Manitoba in his boat heading for Matheson Island. He left with his sheepdog, and the trip should have taken 20-25 minutes. When he left he was traveling straight into the wind, and the water was reported as being rough. Mr. Bennett never arrived at Matheson Island. Mr. Bennett is presumed to have drowned, his remains have never been recovered."

Missing Person: Larry Geroge Bennett
Last-contact date: September 25th, 1981
The area where the MP was last seen: Princess Harbour, Manitoba
Link to government source: Canada's Missing 2013000102 

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: White
Sex: Male
Age at time of disappearance: 25 years old
Birthdate: Born in 1956 so range would be January 1st, 1956 to September 25th, 1956
Hair: Black, had a beard
Eyes: Brown
Scars: No, but numerous tattoos on the right arm
Height/weight: 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds
BMI*: The missing person was overweight by BMI at the time of the last contact.

Larry Bennett has not been seen since September 25th, 1981 when he was 25 years old. This isn't a mysterious case from some points of view. It appears as though he drowned in what would be Lake Winnipeg.

One question I had when I read the report is regarding what happened to his sheepdog. Dogs are not poor swimmers so I wondered if the dog might have survived a mishap, even if Larry Bennett drowned. However, I didn't find any news coverage for this missing person case.

Lake Winnipeg is a very large lake that is a major part of the waterways in Canada. The lake is the watershed for a lot of the prairie areas east of the Canadian Rockies and the waters of Lake Winnipeg itself head further east.

When someone drowns in a lake what is expected is the following process:

1. They sink as their body fills with water.
2. After they die, there are organisms in the body that remain alive. These organisms produce gases.
3. When these gases fill the dead body, there is increased potential for it to rise to the surface of the lake.
4. The body will eventually sink again as the gases inside are released.

What happens after a body sinks for a second time is anyone's guess. It would have a lot to do with average forces in the microregion of the lake, like the average flow rate. I think it's possible for someone's skeletal remains to stay at the bottom of the lake for ages, especially in Canada where lakes freeze over. That said, if you learn of any John Does in the larger region around Matheson Island and Princess Harbour, then think of Larry.

If you know where this person might be or have any information on this case, then please contact the authorities. In Canada, look for Canada's Missing website. Conversely, you can post a remark to this article.

Author: Shane Lambert

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Shane Lambert is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of February 2021.

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges that are given for height and weight.
**Text might be paraphrased. If taken verbatim, then grammar or spelling errors are not necessarily corrected from original sources.
Disclaimer: Information posted is thought to be correct as of the time posting.