Police looking for homeless man in Quetico wilds

Canadian police are searching for a man who was last seen earlier this week in the wilderness of Quetico Provincial Park without a canoe.

Ontario Provincial Police said 26-year-old Aaron King was last seen Monday in the southern part of the park. Trevor Gibb, the superintendent of Quetico Park, said several lakes in the southwest of the park are closed to visitors because of the search.

The closed lakes are Brent, Darkwater, William, Conmee, Suzanette, McIntyre, Scarlett and Cone.

"We're notifying all of our visitors of the lake closures and we're assisting them to reroute their trips around the closed areas," Gibb said. "And notifying them that if they do encounter this person while they're out there, they should not approach the person and report him to the Ontario Provincial Police, date, time and location."

Police in Ely, Minn., say King is homeless and often sleeps in a tent around town. They said their contacts with him have only been to check on his welfare.

Ontario police are concerned King did not have the proper gear and was traveling alone.

Constable Guy Beaudry of the provincial police said park visitors spotted the man earlier this week, just across the border from Ely. "They believed that he was by himself without a mode of transportation. ... We're trying just to check his well-being, just to make sure he has the adequate provisions just to make it in the park."