An Albertan man has been identified as the victim of the Fording River Operations incident on Monday.
Lundbreck resident Pat Dwyer was operating a floating excavator when it flipped into a tailings pond about 8:40 a.m., trapping him underneath.
Divers were dispatched to the scene on Monday but the 70-year-old’s body wasn’t recovered until Wednesday afternoon.
Dwyer was contracted to the Teck Resources-operated mine and had more than 50 years’ experience in equipment operation and excavation.
“All of us at Teck extend our deepest sympathies to Pat’s friends and loved ones during this very difficult time,” said Robin Sheremeta, Senior Vice President, Coal.
“Pat had deep roots in his community and will be profoundly missed.
“Our focus going forward is on providing counselling and support to employees and conducting an investigation to understand how this incident occurred and prevent it from happening again.”
Teck has been working closely with authorities, including the RCMP and B.C. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, throughout the recovery process.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
