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The body of the missing man who was believed to have been swept away in the mudslide on Westside Road earlier this month has been found in Okanagan Lake.
Search and Rescue crews from across the region have been searching through the mudslide's debris and in the lake for nearly two weeks, finding a boot, truck parts, propane canisters and a hot tub cover that were all believed to have been connected to the missing man.
On Saturday, search crews were able to spot the man's truck deep in Okanagan Lake, using the Central Okanagan Search and Rescue's Remote Operated Vehicle. The man's body was located inside the truck.
The body was found at a depth of 155 feet, where the mudslide entered the lake. The area had been scoured over the past two weeks using ground teams, drones, marine units and COSAR's K9 team.
A “critical breakthrough” in the search came about when K9 Barrett gave a strong indication over the water, from the incredible depth of 155 feet. This significantly narrowed the search area for crews, and the truck was found soon after.
Even COSAR search manager Ed Henczel was blown away that the dog was able to provide an indication from such a large depth.
“The dog handler sent me an academic paper on this because I had my doubts," Henczel said. “The dog was on the boat and will react in an area with scent coming up."
Due to the depth involved, the RCMP dive team will be required to recover the body. Henczel said that may not occur for a week or two, when the dive team is available. That dive team was involved in the search for a single day last week, but they were unable to find the body at the time.
Henczel says the search involved nearly 1,000 volunteer hours on both land and water. He says there are "mixed emotions" after finally finding the man's body.
“We extend our sincere gratitude to Vernon Search & Rescue, the Regional District, AIM Road Maintenance, Chute Creek Construction, and the RCMP for their essential support and coordination throughout this complex search,” Henczel said.
“Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the deceased during this difficult time.”
