A 37-year-old man from Dewdney is missing after a boating accident occurred in the Nicomen Slough shortly before 6:30 p.m. on Friday.

Two men had been out in a small flat-bottom aluminum boat, and were reportedly doing donuts in the water when they hit their own wake, ejecting both men from the boat.  The passenger of the boat was able to make it to shore, while the driver of the boat has not been located.  Mission Search and Rescue conducted an extensive search of the area well into the night, but the man was not located.

Mission Search and Rescue, supported by Central Fraser Valley Search and Rescue and South Fraser Search and Rescue, will be back in the area on Saturday, although searchers believe this will likely be a recovery mission at this point.  The area of the Nicomen Slough where the accident happened is only about 12 feet deep, and there is no real current going through there right now.  Search teams scoured the water and the shoreline on Friday night, and they believe it is unlikely that the driver is still alive.  Neither the driver nor the passenger were wearing life jackets, and alcohol may also have played a factor in the incident.

“This is a tragic end to what was supposed to be an enjoyable evening on the water,” says Cpl. Harrison Mohr with Mission RCMP.  “Our thoughts are with the man’s family and friends, and with the passenger that had been with him on the boat.  As we enter peak boating season, please remember to always wear a life jacket when you’re on the water, as it only takes a second for something to go terribly wrong.  It’s like a seatbelt in a car – it only works if you wear it.”

Mission RCMP are continuing to work together with Mission Search and Rescue on this incident, and will deploy RCMP divers as well if needed.  Searchers are expected to be on scene throughout most of Saturday.