Port Alberni RCMP have confirmed that two separate missing persons reports tragically led to the discovery of two vehicles submerged in the Sarita River, resulting in at least one fatality.
The incident unfolded on Saturday, October 19th, when RCMP first received a missing persons report around 5:45 p.m. A traveller en route from Bamfield to Victoria had not arrived at their destination, raising concerns.
An hour later, at 6:45 p.m., police received a second missing persons report, this time involving an individual driving from Port Alberni to Bamfield.
Earlier in the day, good Samaritans found the traveller’s dog near the Sarita River and alerted the family around 1 p.m. A video circulating on social media shows two men jumping into an overflowing river on Saturday to rescue the dog during the extreme rainfall.
RCMP said they utilized cell phone data to track the missing individuals, which pinpointed one of the devices within a 3-kilometre radius of the 58-kilometre mark on Bamfield Road.
In response, a helicopter was deployed for an aerial search, and Alberni Valley Search and Rescue were brought in to assist.
Tragically, just before 9 p.m., one of the families involved notified police that they had located their loved one’s truck fully submerged in the Sarita River.
Due to dangerous conditions, including fast-flowing water and the onset of darkness, emergency services were unable to immediately confirm whether the vehicle was occupied.
Later, the driver’s body was recovered a short distance away.
A second vehicle was also found in the river, and Search and Rescue teams are closely monitoring water levels, awaiting the right conditions to perform a swift water recovery operation.
It is believed that the second missing person is still inside the submerged vehicle.
RCMP are urging the public to avoid the area around the Sarita River due to the high water flow and the risk of flooding on Bamfield Road, particularly during high tides.
RCMP are also reminding drivers of the extreme dangers associated with attempting to cross flooded roadways.
