Fort Fraser, BC –  The search for a man who fell into the Nautley River near the community of Fort Fraser on Easter Sunday has been suspended…

Nechako Valley Search & Rescue made the difficult decision late yesterday, after extensive efforts by water and air failed to find any sign of the man in the swift-moving and murky waters of the Nautley and Nechako Rivers.

Search Manager, Chris Mushumanski, says NV SAR received a call that the man had fallen into the Nautley River at the Nadleh Reserve at approximately 12:30pm on Sunday afternoon.

He says a jet boat with swift water rescue technicians from Vanderhoof began scouring the river, while a helicopter with spotters searched from above.  A second jet boat with Prince George SAR technicians arrived arrived a little later in the afternoon to aid in the effort.

Yesterday, Mushumanski says there were four jet boats spread out along the Nautley and Nechako Rivers, from Nadleh into the community of Vanderhoof. He says the distance of more than 50-kilometres made communications a challenge, so members of the Prince George amateur radio club volunteered to help out and a fixed wing aircraft was brought in to help better relay messages.

Mushumanski says the search was extensive, with some portions of the designated area being covered in excess of 20 times, but nothing was located.  He says their efforts were hampered by the murky water, and safety was becoming a concern, with an increasing amount of debris showing up in the Nechako River.  “And so, given all the parameters, the search has been suspended until further information can lead us to a more specific location, or visibility improves.”

Mushumanski says the RCMP has initiated a Missing Persons file and their investigation is ongoing.