LUMBY — A Lumby area man is missing and RCMP say he’s the registered owner of a pick-up truck that was seen plunging into the Shuswap River. However, police say they can’t confirm if he was in the vehicle at the time.
Vernon Search and Rescue was called to Shuswap River Drive and Mabel Lake Road north east of Lumby about 8 p.m. Saturday after someone phoned police saying they’d seen a vehicle go into the water. The witness did not see anyone get out of the truck and said the pick-up was fully submerged.
Vernon SAR combed the shore Saturday evening along with Lumby fire crews.
“There was some debris but we can’t say that it was associated with the vehicle because there is lots of stuff in the water right now,” said Pete Wise search manager with Vernon Search and Rescue.
According to police, conditions are simply too dangerous to send divers into the water.
“You have very high water. Where it’s gone in is above a dam. The water is very murky. The turbidity is such that it makes it very difficult to see in. Plus the speed of the water where it is makes it far too dangerous to put anybody in the water there,” said Gord Molendyk spokesperson for the Vernon RCMP.
Molendyk said it may be weeks before conditions are safe enough for searchers to go into the water.
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