Two men who were with a Red Deer man missing since the truck they were all in floated down the Skeena River late last fall have been charged with allegedly interfering in the police investigation.
Nathan Joseph Heit and Jesse Fehr each face charges of obstructing a peace officer; attempting to obstruct justice; and making false and misleading statements to police (public mischief).
Dustin Steele, 23, was last seen on November 1, 2014 at approximately 9 p.m. in the Copper Flats area, when a truck he and two friends were in was driven into the river and became caught in the current, reported Terrace RCMP Nov. 3, 2014.
Two of the men made it to shore and Dustin was last seen in the back of the floating truck heading downstream on the Skeena River.
Search and rescue volunteers and individuals went out for days afterward looking for Steele.
Although the incident occurred the evening of Saturday, Nov. 1, it was not reported to RCMP until the following day.
One of the men, a 25-year-old “who was with Dustin at the truck was arrested for obstruction on November 3rd and released the same day on conditions,” confirmed Terrace RCMP Nov. 5.
Terrace RCMP continued to investigate the reasons why Steele and the two others were by the river and how the truck ended up in the river.
Searchers did find the truck submerged in the river, on Nov. 4 but bad weather and the river’s current prevented its successful recovery until the morning of Nov. 7.
In December, 2014 searchers returned to look on the shoreline and shallow water areas and found a child seat, and boot believed to have come from the truck, said search and rescue at that time.
Late last month, searchers checked out a log jam downriver from where the vehicle went into the water but did not find Steele’s body.
The two men make their first appearance in court June 2.
