The body of a 37-year-old Dewdney man was discovered late Saturday (June 15) afternoon after a boating accident on Friday (June 14).
A local resident found the missing boat operator just outside the official search area and Search and Rescue crews recovered the body after they were notified.
The extensive search stemmed from an incident at approximately 6:30 p.m. on Nicomen Slough, north of the Fraser River, in the Dewdney Bridge area.
Two men were out in a small flat-bottom aluminium boat and were reportedly doing donuts in the water when they hit their own wake, ejecting both of them from the boat. Neither of them were wearing life jackets, and alcohol may have played a factor in the incident, according to Mission RCMP.
The passenger made it to shore, but the driver did not.
Mission Search and Rescue (MSAR), paramedics, firefighters and Mission RCMP were all on scene that evening. Police said MSAR conducted an "extensive search" of the area well into the night, but the man was not found.
On Saturday, Central Fraser Valley Search and Rescue and South Fraser Search and Rescue provided support to MSAR and teams found the body of the missing man in the late afternoon.
“This is a tragic end to what was supposed to be an enjoyable evening on the water,” Mission RCMP Cpl. Harrison Mohr said in a news release.
“Our thoughts are with the man’s family and friends, and with the passenger that had been with him on the boat. As we enter peak boating season, please remember to always wear a life jacket when you’re on the water, as it only takes a second for something to go terribly wrong. It’s like a seatbelt in a car – it only works if you wear it. ”
