The search is about to ramp up for a man missing in the Coquitlam River following last weekend’s massive atmospheric river deluge.
Friday will be the last big push ahead of this weekend’s storm as search and rescue crews fear more rain will only make conditions worse.
Coquitlam Search and Rescue (CSR) says BC Hydro will be reducing the outflow of water from the Coquitlam River on Friday, all in an effort to find 59-year-old Robert Belding.
CSR says Belding was last seen near Pipeline Road and Galette Avenue around 5 p.m. Sunday. Early reports suggested that he had fallen into or been swept away by the overflowing current while walking with his brother’s dog amid the heavy downpour.
CSR confirmed Wednesday that Belding was attempting to save the dog after it fell into the river.
“The dog went into the water, and Robert, being a good soul, went after to try and rescue it. The witness reported that he was swept away almost immediately because the current was so strong and the river so high,” said Media Relations Officer Ian MacDonald.
The dog was later found near Shaughnessy Street and David Place.
More rain is in the forecast for the weekend, but CSR says the search for Belding will continue, even if the methods used are forced to change.
“In searches like this, we don’t give up,” MacDonald said.
Meanwhile, North Shore Rescue has been tasked to find a missing man, Scott Phillips, believed to be somewhere in the British Properties.
The man’s car was found near the Brothers Creek trailhead on the North Shore.
North Shore Rescue says Phillips is familiar with the backcountry but he hasn’t been seen since Sept. 27.