Police in Kamloops, B.C., say the search continues for an Alberta man lost in the North Thompson River.
Kamloops RCMP say officers responded to a call around 3 p.m. PT on Friday near a sports complex after a man was reportedly “swept away” by the river.
Police say 50-year-old Stan Cappis and a friend jumped into a fast-moving portion of the river to rescue two young people who got caught by the river’s current.
Staff Sgt. Janelle Shoihet says Cappis’s friend and the youths made it to shore, but Cappis was “swept away” and was last spotted around a river bend.
Police say efforts by emergency personnel and numerous civilians to find Cappis began immediately, but he wasn’t found. The man is from Red Deer, Alta., according to Kamloops Search and Rescue manager Frank Pryce.
RCMP say the search will continue Sunday with help from the local search-and-rescue team, and police say people who live in the area around the Tournament Capital Ranch should be on the lookout for Cappis.
Cappis is described as a white man with an athletic build and dark hair. He was last seen wearing shorts and sunglasses, according to police.
“As much as it’s not comfortable to wear a personal flotation device, that’s the best takeaway here,” Shoihet said in a Sunday interview.
Kamloops is a large city in B.C.’s Interior, located around 250 km northeast of Vancouver.
Police likely looking at recovery mission
Shoihet told CBC News that, given the length of time that had elapsed since Cappis went missing, police were likely looking at a recovery mission and not a rescue mission.
She said the circumstances of the incident — where the man dove in to save others and got swept away himself — is weighing heavily on some officers involved in the recovery effort.
“It was definitely a tough day for our members on Friday, and yesterday as well,” the staff sergeant said. “You know, it’s really, really unfortunate.”
“As much as we do see unfortunate events, it does still impact us.”
Pryce told CBC News that rescuers were unable to find Cappis despite a concerted effort using helicopters, drones, and jet boats for over 10 hours on Saturday.
He says that because of a cooler, wetter spring in the B.C. Interior, rivers are running higher which means there are not as many sandbars for people to rest on.
The search-and-rescue manager said that life jackets should be taken along if anyone plans to be near rushing waters during summer.
“Lots of times you think, well, I’m just going to swim and I’m not going to wear my life jacket. And that’s your decision,” he said. “But at least if you have that life jacket, there it is, a tool you can use if you decide to use it.”
Pryce added that parents should keep children at arm’s reach at all times along riverbanks, and that anyone looking to swim should test the currents beforehand.