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By Mike Vanden Bosch

Abbotsford Police Department

Abbotsford PD spokesperson asks public not to risk their safety in search for missing 65-year-old rower

Jun 7, 2024 | 9:55 PM

ABBOTSFORD — The Abbotsford Police Department is appealing to the public to leave it to the experts as the search for a 65-year-old missing rower carries on for a third day.

According to an email Friday afternoon from Constable Art Stele, spokesperson for the Abbotsford Police Department, police say they have been utilizing all available resources to assist in the search for the unidentified 65-year-old rower ever since he went missing on Tuesday, June 5.

“At the time of writing this email (Friday, June 7, 2:14 p.m.), the missing rower is still outstanding; efforts to locate the missing rower have been continuous with investigators having consulted with the RCMP’s Dive Team yesterday, who may be utilized to assist in the ongoing search,” Cst. Stele wrote in an email to Fraser Valley Today. “This investigation is classified as a missing persons investigation and is now in its third day.”

Cst. Stele says the area of Sumas River is common to have kayakers and rowers present in and police do not normally receive calls with these circumstances often.

“We can understand the public’s curiosity and willingness to assist in the search, however, we strongly urge the public not to put themselves at risk in the attempt to search for the missing person in the area,” Cst. Stele said. “We have all available resources deployed who are experts in their field.”

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Despite exhaustive search measures, the 65-year-old man who was last seen paddling in the Sumas River area of Abbotsford earlier this week has not been located.

Constable Art Stele, spokesperson for the AbbyPD, advised Fraser Valley Today in an email Thursday afternoon that police in Abbotsford responded to a reported missing rower on Tuesday, June 5 at 6:37 p.m. The missing rower was last seen paddling in the Sumas River area along the 39000 block of Quadling Rd. (MacDonald Park / No 3. Rd area).

After receiving the report, responding officers and a range of activated resources conducted an extensive search of the area, Cst. Stele said.

The missing 65-year-old male rower was not located upon initial attendance despite assistance from RCMP’s Air 1 police helicopter, attending Central Fraser Valley Search and Rescue personnel, Abbotsford Fire Rescue Services, B.C. Emergency Health Services, and a deployed boat to assist with the search yesterday evening.

The search is ongoing, and police say they are consulting with the RCMP’s dive team to determine whether their services may be utilized in conjunction with the other efforts of the search.

The AbbyPD file number is 24-22945.