The RCMP are continuing their investigating on what now appears to be a confirmed, missing person in the Nass River.
“At this point, we don’t have a lot of information but we have a good amount of evidence to suggest that the missing person is a Belgian man,” says North District RCMP Cpl. Madonna Saunderson. “We’ve been in contact with the Belgium federal police who are making contact with the family and at this point, we have no reason to suspect any sort of foul play is involved.”
Circulating on Facebook earlier, a woman named Dodie Caulier from Belgium wrote a post pleading to find more information about her brother Romain Quénéhen who was travelling through B.C. to Alaska.
“We are without news from my brother and the police have started searching,” she writes on Sept. 4, translated from French. “Is there anyone (or knows someone who is) in British Columbia or Alaska? Do you know about any website or Facebook page where hikers from there would exchange? It’s very important.”
READ MORE: Search called off for Nass River kayaker
Caulier wrote another Facebook post on Sept. 5, attaching photos of Quénéhen. She writes, “Police is investigating on the disappearance of my brother Romain, on August 26th he was leaving from Kitimat (probably on road 37), British Columbia towards Alaska.”
The post has since been shared almost 2,200 times by users on different Facebook groups dedicated to travellers.
On Aug. 28, an empty kayak and backpack were spotted drifting in the Nass River by BC Hydro crew from air who reported the sighting to police. With the help of RCMP Air Services, Terrace Search and Rescue (SAR) conducted an aerial search of the area which is described as a very remote and rugged canyon with category four rapids, not accessible by vehicle or foot.
Only a red, inflatable kayak and a green hiking backpack with a silver/white rain cover were found, the latter of which was retrieved under the old Nass River bridge on Highway 37 during their search.
READ MORE: Terrace Search and Rescue looking for missing kayaker in Nass River
A white GMC crew cab pick-up was also discovered. Footprints under the Bell Irving bridge indicate it’s likely the kayak was launched from that location. It’s assumed the person was kayaking alone.
The search was called off on Aug. 29 as no missing person was reported, but urged the public to come forward if someone had dashcam footage on Hwy 37 or saw someone inflating a kayak.
Seen in the photos Caulier shared of her brother are a white GMC pick-up, a red kayak and a green backpack.
The police investigation is ongoing.
If you have any information that can assist with this investigation, please contact the Stewart RCMP at 250-636-2233 and cite file number 2019-284.
