Stephen Michalak set out on a prospecting trip to Falcon Lake, Manitoba, on Friday, May 19, 1967, just as he would have for any other trip. He packed his equipment, and his wife packed him a lunch for the next day's work. He arrived in Falcon Lake at approximately 9:30 p.m. and checked into a motel. He would later report to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) that he went for a coffee at the motel's beverage room.
