Kamloops Search and Rescue used a helicopter, jet boat and swiftwater rescue team to search the Thompson River on April 15, 2017.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Kamloops Search and Rescue
Republished April 17, 2017 - 11:26 AM
Original Publication Date April 15, 2017 - 4:21 PM
KAMLOOPS – A woman's body was recovered from a submerged pickup truck in the Thompson River near Ashcroft yesterday.
RCMP say the woman, in her mid-40s, is from the Ashcroft area and her death is noncriminal in nature.
The woman was driving a 2015 white dodge truck when it left Drink Water Road near Ashcroft and landed in the river on Saturday, April 15, according to an RCMP media release. Police were alerted to the incident at 1:20 p.m. and search crews were deployed around 2 p.m.
"On attendance to the river's edge, police could only see the roofline of the pickup truck and were unable to confirm whether it was occupied," Cpl. Dan Moskaluk says in the release.
Kamloops Search and Rescue was actived, Moskaluk says.
Alan Hobler with Kamloops Search and Rescue says members of the Kamloops, Vernon and Salmon Arm swiftwater rescue team had to stand down when they could not safely access the submerged pickup.
"It's a very tough call to go home, especially with things unresolved and with the family and community members there. Everyone was anxious to recover the vehicle," Hobler says. "Five years ago we lost a search and rescue volunteer doing the exact same task and that played very heavy on all of us in the decision making process."
On Sunday, April 16, the RCMP dive team and recovered the woman's body and the vehicle.
"The Ashcroft RCMP Victim Services are assisting by providing support to the affected families and community," Moskaluk says. "The Ashcroft RCMP continues to assist the B.C. Coroners Service with their investigation into the woman's death."
The woman's identity has not been released.
— This story was updated at 9:05 a.m. on April 16, 2017 to include new information from Kamloops Search and Rescue.
— This story was updated at 8:25 a.m. on April 17, 2017 to include new information from Kamloops Search and Rescue.
— This story was updated at 9 a.m. on April 17, 2017 to include new information from search manager Alan Hobler.
— This story was updated at 11:05 a.m. on April 17, 2017 to include new information from RCMP.
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