The RCMP believes a body found Friday morning is that of a swimmer who went missing in Lunenburg County’s Gold River amid high water levels from recent rainfall in Nova Scotia.
Police said earlier this week that the 31-year-old was reported missing Monday around 6:30 p.m. near Beech Hill Road. He was one of three men who were tubing in the river when their tubes capsized. The other two men were able to make it to shore but the third man was last seen drifting down the river.
On Wednesday, police said they were unable to find the man after an exhaustive search and they believed his body was swept out to sea.
In an update Friday, police said a member of the public saw a body floating in the water near where the Gold River meets the ocean around 7:25 a.m.
“The human remains have since been tentatively identified as belonging to the 31-year-old man and investigators are working with the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner’s Officer on positively identifying the remains,” the release said.
“At this difficult time, our thoughts are with the man’s family, his loved ones, and the community.”
Heavy rain, which began Friday, dumped between 200 and 250 millimetres along Nova Scotia’s South Shore, across the Halifax area and into central and western parts of the province, prompting massive floods in some areas. Three people, including two children, have been found dead after floodwaters submerged vehicles in the West Hants area, and one youth remains missing.
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Chris Marshall said Tuesday that the river was “significantly higher than it would normally be” due to the rainfall.
“Lunenburg County has a lot of rain, it’s one of the areas of the province that had some of the heaviest rainfall totals,” he said.
With elevated water levels, he said if something capsizes, it’s much more more difficult to get to a shoreline.
“As the water level raises, the width of many rivers tend to also become wider, which puts you further from the riverbank, as the river begins to kind of break the bank,” he said.
“So it makes it harder for you, if you get into a problem, to get yourself out of the water.”
With a hot week ahead, Marshall said people should exercise “extreme caution” around waterways until water levels go back to normal. He recommended using personal flotation devices if people plan to go into water.
Comments