The search for a missing snowmobiler in the Okanagan was called off Wednesday night but will resume Thursday.

Vernon Search and Rescue had been looking for the 57-year-old Armstrong man for hours, but the search took a turn for the worse after a hole was discovered in the ice at Sugar Lake, just east of Lumby.

Corporal Henry Proce says the man was an experienced ice-fisherman whose family reported he was overdue from a trip.

"At this point it's still a search, it's not a recovery, but obviously some 48 hours have gone by and he still hasn't turned up, so the forecast is not the most optimistic. His car and snowmobile were found near the lake. An RCMP dive team will resume the search Thursday," says Proce.

This event marks the 45th time Vernon Search and Rescue has been called out in 2008.