An RCMP Dive team discovered the body of a male truck driver submerged near the cab of the semi truck that went over an embankment and into Shuswap Lake west of Sorrento overnight Tuesday.
The body was removed from the lake at approximately 3 p.m., and work is now beginning to remove the rig from the water.
It is not known whether there was more than one person in the truck when it went into the water, so the search of the area around the truck, as well as the surrounding waters was ongoing Tuesday afternoon.
The incident took place sometime overnight Tuesday near the intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway and Lindberg Road at a section of road known as Cruickshanks Point, but it is not known exactly what time. Police were alerted by a passing motorist who saw the trailer floating in the lake early this morning. The cab of the truck is submerged in 10 feet of water.
The trailer, which had detached from the rig and floated downstream, has now been pulled from the water after crews were able to attach cables to the floating vehicle and pull it close enough to haul it out. It has not been towed up the steep embankment.
The trailer had Alberta licence plates and the logo on the cab indicates the truck belongs to Syndicate Transport Ltd., a company based out of Calgary.
Ministry of Environment officials assessed the site for spilled diesel fuel and other possible contaminants. A hazardous materials firm has been called in to contain any hydrocarbons in the area, but there does not appear to be an immediate environmental risk.
Debris floating near the cab, which had its roof ripped off, appears to be boxed meat. Some people stopped near the accident scene and were salavaging boxes of what appeared to be frozen turkey and chicken breasts from the water, seemingly unconcerned about the unknown amount of diesel fuel that had leaked into the surrounding lake water.
Police indicated the that travel along the Trans-Canada Highway will be affected for most of Tuesday and possibly Wednesday as well, depending on whether they can safely remove the truck from the water.
