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Cranbrook RCMP search for missing 20 Year Old Jaffray man

A 20 year old Jaffray man is believed to have driven off the Bull River Forest Service Road on June 23.
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Search efforts by the RCMP

Cranbrook RCMP, Search and Rescue, family and friends search for a 20 year old Jaffray man who is believed to have driven off the Bull River Forest Service Road on Sunday, June 23.

On Tuesday, June 25 at 10:00 pm, the Cranbrook RCMP responded to a call of a possible fatal motor vehicle accident on the Bull River Forest Service Road. Upon attendance, police confirmed fresh tire marks on the gravel shoulder indicating that a vehicle had left the roadway and had gone down a 50-meter embankment towards the Bull River.

The Police Service dog team was activated and Cranbrook Search and Rescue were notified and attended. A search of the immediate area by a FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) device, (looking for heat sources), was also conducted but the vehicle or driver were not located. It was determined that the missing 20 year old male driver was last seen on Sunday June 23 at 11:30 pm when he left a group of friends in the Bull River area.

The search resumed at first light on Wednesday, June 26. Search and Rescue teams from Kimberley, Cranbrook, Sparwood, Fernie and Nelson arrived with specialists in swift water rescue, rope rescue, and ground search and rescue and two helicopters. Search and Rescue personnel joined with a large number of volunteers who were organized into search teams and participated in the search efforts; however, by the end of the day, the vehicle or driver were still not located.

The high water levels and increased turbidity severely inhibited search efforts and it was determined by the RCMP and Search and Rescue that the search would be suspended until the high water levels receded and turbidity cleared up. The remaining civilian volunteers were organized into groups for the purpose of watching and monitoring the river and remained until dark, along with Search and Rescue personnel.

At first light on Thursday, June 27, civilian volunteers and Cranbrook Search and Rescue returned to the scene where the volunteers deployed their monitor groups to watch the river for debris from the crash. In speaking to representatives of this civilian volunteer group, the RCMP has been told that the volunteer group will remain at the scene through the weekend.

If anyone has any additional information about this incident, they can call the Cranbrook RCMP at 250-489-3471 or East Kootenay Crimestoppers (1-800-222-TIPS).