Police have called off a search for a woman who drowned after falling into a fast-moving creek Wednesday in Golden Ears Provincial Park.
The 23-year-old Surrey resident was on a day trip with visiting family when she slipped off rocks near the Upper Burke Falls and plunged several metres into the rushing water below.
Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue, Coquitlam Search and Rescue, North Shore Rescue’s swiftwater kayak team, Talon Helicopters and a RCMP helicopter scour the area but were unable to locate the woman after two days of searching.
The woman’s sweater was found late Thursday but crews said there has been no sign of her since. They believe her body may be trapped under debris.
RCMP Cpl. Alanna Dunlop said the search has been hampered by high water and strong currents. Crews will have to wait until water levels drop before resuming the search.
The location where the woman drowned is treacherous, as warm temperatures have melted snow from the peaks above, making streams run fast.
The drowning is the fifth death in Golden Ears Provincial Park in the past four years.
Last year, two men drowned after being sucked under by currents while swimming in the same area in May. It took six days to recover both bodies.
