RCMP are warning the public to stay away from the Sarita River near Bamfield, B.C., after one person was found dead and another was missing, presumed dead, following weekend flooding on Vancouver Island.
Port Alberni RCMP said the search for two separate missing people near the Vancouver Island community, about 200 kilometers by road northwest of Victoria, began Saturday evening.
They said the vehicle of one of the missing people was found “completely submerged” in the Sarita River on Saturday, and the driver was found dead nearby.
A second vehicle was also found in the river and its driver is believed to have died inside.
The news comes after confirmation that a woman whose home was swept away by a landslide in Coquitlam, BC, over the weekend was found dead following a landslide that occurred over the weekend.
Saturday night laundry
Police said a missing person search began when they received a report that a late traveler driving to Victoria from Bamfield was first reported missing at 5:45 p.m. PT, RCMP said.
A second report of a missing traveler, driving to Bamfield from Port Alberni, came in at 6:45 p.m. PT. The person’s dog was found at around 1 pm near the Sarita River, and the person who found the pet contacted the owner’s family.
RCMP said a helicopter was sent to conduct an aerial search, while Alberni Valley Search and Rescue crews were called in to assist.
At around 9 pm PT, a relative of one of the missing victims found the missing person’s truck “completely submerged” in the Sarita River. The missing driver was found dead not far away.
A second vehicle was also found in the Sarita River, and police believe the second missing person was also in the vehicle.
RCMP say they are waiting for an opportunity to recover the vehicle, but recovery has been delayed due to the ongoing flood risk.
“RCMP urges the public to stay away from the Sarita River area because the water is flowing fast and this part of Bamfield Road is vulnerable to flooding, especially at high tide,” said Const. Beth O’Connor in an emailed media release.
“Additionally, police would like to remind everyone that attempting to navigate flooded roadways can be extremely dangerous.”
