The body of a 42-year-old Williams Lake man was found in the Williams Lake River on Tuesday.
Members of the Central Central Cariboo Search and Rescue and Williams Lake RCMP and an RCMP helicopter located the body approximately 1.5 km from where the lake enters the river.
A search of the creek was conducted after someone turned in belongings found alongside the creek on the River Valley Trail on the morning of April 30.
“Because the belongings were found next to the creek, it was one of the natural possibilities that we had to explore, that he had fallen into the creek,” says Cpl. Jason Pole of the Williams Lake RCMP general investigation section.
It’s not uncommon for this time of year, with the surge from the melt, that most of the waterways are high.
“We’ll get a certain amount of people that get too close to the fast-flowing water or underestimate it and accidents happen. We don’t know how he ended up in the water because there’s nothing to tell us that, but it was one of the possibilities we had to explore and unfortunately it panned out to be true,” Pole says.
The creek is running high right now. If people were to enter, even in the shallow portions, they would have to be careful, because if they slip and fall in, it’s going to sweep them quite a distance, Pole warns, adding Search and Rescue estimates in some spots the water in the creek could be as deep as eight feet right now.
Police have ruled out foul play and say a notification has gone out to family in Williams Lake. His name is not being released at this point.
The man had not been reported missing by family and friends, but after his belongings were turned in, the RCMP listed him as missing.
“Family and friends had not had contact from him in a considerable stretch, and they indicated that wasn’t usually the case. Generally, if they tried to get a hold of him, he would get back to them in short order. That immediately caused us some concern.”
At this time, the matter remains under investigation by the BC Coroner’s Service.
