On Oct. 5, the Lytton RCMP and BC Coroners Service confirmed the identity of the deceased male that was recovered from the Fraser River south of Yale on Aug. 12, 2018, as 59-year-old Duane Aleck of the Boston Bar area.
His death has been determined as non-criminal in nature, according to an Oct. 5 news release from the RCMP.
Thompson River tragedy
The Journal published the following press release from the Lytton RCMP on July 10.
On June 18 at 9:30 p.m., a call was received by the Boston Bar RCMP. A witness near the Siska Reserve witnessed a body floating down the Fraser River.
The witness said the body was held up by an orange ring-type life preserver. He believed the body was that of a First Nations adult with long hair.
Boston Bar RCMP attended the Alexandra Bridge and watched the river until it was too dark to see. Lytton RCMP was notified and made patrols along the Trans-Canada looking for unoccupied cars. The following day (June 19), the RCMP helicopter was called in from Kelowna and searched the river from Lytton to Hope and back without finding anything.
On June 20, RCMP received a report that Duane Aleck, a 59-year-old Lytton man, was missing and last seen on June 18, when he had gone to mend his nets below Kumsheen School.
A second flight with the RCMP helicopter to and from Hope took place. The investigation was advanced when a statement was obtained from a fisherman from the opposite shore.
This witness saw Mr. Aleck enter the river on June 18 to un-snag a net. The net caught the current and he swam back to shore, grabbed the life-ring, and pursued the net, which was 100 feet down-river.
When the witness left the river after 8:30 p.m., Mr. Aleck was clinging onto a cliff and did not seem to be panicked. The witness did not report this until he learned that there was a search for a missing fisherman.
Local First Nations from Lytton to the Port Mann Bridge were notified. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has made a patrol of the river and notified their partners downstream.
On June 29, Search and Rescue and the RCMP made two patrols of the Fraser with separate helicopters. A local business supplied boats and took family members to search the river.
Local Chiefs have been extremely supportive and helpful to the search and in support of the searchers.
Following the search of June 29, the Search and Rescue co-ordinator recommended concluding the search.
Regardless, the RCMP and their partners continue to be alert to any new information, and maintain communication with the family spokespersons.