Body of man missing after B.C. landslide found in Okanagan Lake

This photo, shared by Central Okanagan Search and Recue, shows crews scouring the site of a massive landslide. (Image credit: Facebook/CentralOkanaganSAR)

Search and rescue crews have found the body of a man reported missing after a landslide near West Kelowna earlier this month.

A submerged vehicle and its driver were found in Okanagan Lake Saturday after volunteers spent nearly 1,000 hours combing the area, according to an update from Central Okanagan Search and Rescue. The search involved ground crews, drones, boats and search dogs.

“A huge moment came when K9 Barrett, deployed on our boat Sweatman, gave a strong indication in the water—right where we believed the debris field might be. That narrowed our search significantly,” a Sunday Facebook post from COSAR said.

“Our marine team managed to locate submerged debris consistent with a vehicle. On April 12, the missing vehicle and its driver were found in 155 feet of water. The RCMP underwater recovery team will complete the recovery… Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of the deceased.”

The slide sent more than 20,000 tons of debris tumbling onto Westside Road and into Okanagan Lake on April 1. The next day, COSAR volunteers scoured the shoreline at the site of a former homeless encampment, but did not locate any victims or survivors.

“A few days later, a person was reported missing – someone who may have been driving that stretch of road during the slide,” Sunday’s update from COSAR said, adding that what followed was an exhaustive and systematic search of an “enormous and dangerous area.”

The RCMP confirmed a missing persons investigation was underway on April 7, saying police had located “unique items associated to the missing person.”

The name of the deceased man has not been released.

The RCMP, in an email, said a date for the recovery has not yet been set.