Bella Coola, B.C.- A search for a fisherman, missing since Friday May 15th has  ended.

RCMP in Bella Coola were notified of the man’s disappearance  on Friday evening.

The 35 year old  man from Bella Coola  was last seen cleaning the  deck of his  commercial fishing  boat that was returning to  the Bella Coola wharf  from the North Bentick Arm channel.

Witnesses say they  saw  him on the boat at 5:30  but crew members  didn’t notice he was missing until half an hour later.  They  then conducted a search of the area they  had covered in that  half hour,  but  there was no sign of  the missing man.

RCMP and the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC/Coast Guard) were notified and a search team  which involved local Search and Rescue (SAR), Regional Coordinating Centre for SAR, local Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Coast Guard, SAR Helicopter and Fixed Wing aircraft  combed the area for three days, but  they were unable to locate the missing man.

The search has now been  suspended,  RCMP  do not  suspect foul play and the matter is now a missing persons case.