The RCMP has confirmed that the body of a lone female, the single occupant of a pick-up truck that entered the Thompson River 15 kilometres south of Ashcroft on the afternoon of Saturday, April 15, was recovered by members of the RCMP Underwater Recovery Team on April 16.
Police have confirmed that she was in her mid-forties, and was a resident of the Ashcroft area. RCMP and the BC Coroners Service have made an initial determination that the incident is noncriminal in nature.
Ashcroft RCMP received a report that there was a submerged vehicle in the Thompson River off Drinkwater Road at approximately 1:20 p.m. on April 15. Upon arrival at the site, police could only see the roofline of a pick-up truck, and were unable to determine if it was occupied.
Ashcroft Fire Rescue and the Swiftwater Rescue Team of Kamloops Search and Rescue (KSR) were deployed to the site. KSR manager Alan Hobler said that his team arrived by helicopter and jet boat, and was able to locate and get to the truck in the river. He said that it appeared to have entered the river from a gravel bar off Drinkwater Road.
The search and rescue team was unable to determine whether or not there were any occupants of the truck, due to the swiftness of the current, the depth to which the truck was submerged, and the murkiness of the water. They were also unable to secure the vehicle enough to tow it from the water.
Hobler said that his team was stood down late on Saturday evening and the site was taken over by the RCMP, with the Underwater Recovery Team on call. “The RCMP is taking this seriously, so it’s a good indication that there is someone in the water,” said Hobler on April 16. He noted that the RCMP dive team is “trained and highly skilled for this task. Search and rescue isn’t able to enter the water like that.”
On April 16, when the dive team arrived at the site, they were able to confirm that the truck contained a lone adult female occupant. A recovery of the truck and the deceased occupant was safely completed.
“The Ashcroft RCMP Victim Services are assisting by providing support to the affected families and community,” said RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk. “The Ashcroft RCMP continues to assist the BC Coroners Service with their investigation into the woman’s death.”