Bodies of Langley, B.C., teens pulled from Nicola Lake

A private U.S. search team has recovered the bodies of two teenagers who drowned in Nicola Lake near Merritt, B.C., the RCMP said.

Austin Kingsborough, 17, and Brendan Wilsonwho was one day shy of his 18th birthday were reported missing April 21 after they didn't return home from a camping trip. A tip froma local caretaker about a missing canoedirected the search to the lake.

• Hunt for 2 B.C. teens now a recovery operation near Merritt
• 2 Langley teens 'presumed drowned' near Merritt

After an RCMP dive search was unsuccessful, family and friends of the missing boys turned to Idaho to hirea specialized search team, which uses sonar equipment to produce images of the deepest recesses of lakes.

Hours into the search, the bodies of the boys were located at a depth of almost 23 metresin a bay in the lakeon Monday, near the area where their overturned canoe had been found two weeks earlier, said Const. Lesley Smith with the North District RCMP.

The families have asked for privacy as they deal with their loss.

The B.C. Coroners Service has taken over the investigation.