The body of a man who went missing following last weekend’s atmospheric river in Coquitlam has been found, RCMP have confirmed.
“Our thoughts are with his family and friends as they grieve the loss of their loved one,” said RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Alexa Hodgins in a statement.
Robert Belding, 59, was last seen Sunday, Oct. 20.
Coquitlam, located just east of Vancouver, was one of the hardest-hit areas as an atmospheric river weather system rolled over southern B.C. last weekend, dumping more than 250 millimetres of rain.
Ian MacDonald, of Coquitlam Search and Rescue, told the Canadian Press earlier this week that a witness had reported seeing Belding fall into the swollen Coquitlam River as he tried to rescue a dog and was “immediately swept away.”
Coquitlam RCMP has confirmed a missing man, believed to have been swept away during the atmospheric river, has been found dead. On Friday, Search and Rescue crews made a final push. Michelle Ghoussoub has more on the search efforts by ground, air, and water.
The dog was later found by local residents after it made it to shore, MacDonald said.
An extensive search was conducted including helicopter flyovers and a marine team.
Three others have been confirmed dead in last weekend’s weather events, including school teacher Sonya McIntyre of Coquitlam, who was killed when her house was swept away by a mudslide, and two men on Vancouver Island, who were swept into the Sarita River when water washed out Bamfield Road.