Recovery effort underway, two men presumed dead due to BC flooding

KAMLOOPS (NEWS 1130) – The search for a fire chief in the province’s Interior believed to have been swept away in a swollen river has shifted to a recovery effort. 59-year-old Clayton Cassidy of Cache Creek was last known to be checking water levels on Friday.

(Cache Creek Fire Chief Clayton Cassidy)

RCMP Corporal Dan Moskaluk says the fire chief is presumed dead. “What will happen now is ground searches at the water’s edge will continue and aerial surveillance of the area, looking at the water conditions will hopefully subside that will help in completing this search effort.”

The search also continues for 76-year-old Roy Sharp, whose house was engulfed in a mudslide at Tappen, north of Salmon Arm on Saturday. Over the weekend, crews were able to search the destroyed home and areas of the mudslide debris field, however they have been unable to find the man.

Snowmelt and heavy rains across the province’s Interior have led to evacuation orders and local states of emergency. Over the weekend roughly 300 people were evacuated from their homes as Kelowna, West Kelowna, and the Central Okanagan keep an eye on surging water levels.

“The city park is flooded. There’s a bunch of trails along the river there that are flooding,” explains Alan Stanley with the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary who adds there isn’t much in damage or threat to homes there. However, Stanley warns the situation could worsen with more rain expected for the region later this week. “We are going to start focusing on preparedness for higher water towards the end of the week. We’re advising people to move their livestock to higher ground.”

In the Nicola Valley, an evacuation alert covers about 250 people due to concerns that high water may have damaged the spillway of the Mamit Lake dam.

The threat of flooding appears to be easing in many parts of the southern and central Interior, as the River Forecast Centre reports only the Salmon River in the Shuswap region remain on flood watch. But the centre warns the Kettle River and waterways in the Boundary and Shuswap regions are still capable of causing localized flooding.

People who live in the region say the silver lining to the flood water and damage is that neighbours are coming together to help each other.

Meantime, the provincial government is making disaster financial assistance available to those eligible in the Central region. For more information on that click here.

Elections BC is also making alternative arrangements for voters in flood-affected areas who want to vote in tomorrow’s provincial election.