ON Monday (July 16), at around 8 p.m., Ridge Meadows RCMP received a call from BC Ambulance that a 21-year-old man, who was visiting from Toronto, had been swept away by the current from Gold Creek in Golden Ears Provincial Park.
A second man, a 21-year-old Abbotsford resident, tried to help and both were carried over the falls. The Abbotsford man was found downstream with non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to hospital.
Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue (RMSAR) was deployed and a search of the area drew a blank. At 10 p.m. RMSAR called a halt to the search due to the darkness and the danger the rugged terrain posed.
The search continued Tuesday morning and at around 10 a.m. a body believed to be that of the missing Toronto hiker has been found and recovered from a pool of water in the park.
“No one expects this sad of an outcome when you are visiting our local parks and our sincerest condolences are offered to the Toronto man’s family and friends,” said Staff-Sgt. Parm Prihar. “We thank Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue for their assistance and dedication in helping to find and recover this person.”