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RCMP still searching river for missing Castlegar man

Next attempt will be in January unless new information becomes available.
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Searchers are planning one last push to find the remains of a Castlegar man who disappeared after his truck plunged into the Kootenay River in May.

Man missing after truck plunges into river

At the time, a witness reported seeing the vehicle lose control on Brilliant Road and fall into the water.

Search and rescue teams, as well as an RCMP dive team, attended the scene but were unable to locate the truck or the driver.

A search team out of Victoria conducted a second search in July, followed by another in October.

A possible location was discovered by sonar, but the site turned out to be a rock, according to Castlegar RCMP Cpl. Brett Turner.

“The eddy where the vehicle originally entered the water has been completely mapped by sonar and searched by divers,” Turner said this week.

“We are confident that the truck is no longer in the Kootenay stretch of the river.”

The next — and likely final — recovery attempt will be made in January once river water levels are at their lowest.

If new information arises that would indicate another possible location of the vehicle before then, Turner said a search could be conducted sooner.

Police are asking the public to notify them immediately if they see anything suspicious in the river or along the shore.



Betsy Kline

About the Author: Betsy Kline

After spending several years as a freelance writer for the Castlegar News, Betsy joined the editorial staff as a reporter in March of 2015. In 2020, she moved into the editor's position.
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