It’s been more than three days since a surprise wind storm caused havoc throughout the Okanagan and the search for a missing fisherman on Okanagan Lake is ongoing.
The near-80 km/h winds caused a commercial fishing boat to capsize on the lake near Ellison Provincial Park shortly before 11 pm Monday and the captain of that boat remains missing.
Family has since identified the boat’s missing captain as Travis van Hill.
“This has transitioned solely to a missing person investigation and will continue until the person is located,” said Cst. Chris Terleski, Vernon RCMP.
“Sadly, we haven’t found any indication that the victim survived the incident but this cannot be confirmed until he has been located. We’ll continue to offer our full support to the family as they navigate the anguish and uncertainty of this unfortunate tragedy.”
Police say there have been several searches of the lake by RCMP resources and Vernon Search and Rescue (VSAR) since Monday night, but van Hill remains missing.
“Several agencies are now working together to determine the best and safest course of action to recover the partially submerged vessel,” an RCMP release noted.
“The police investigation has reached a point where criminality is not suspected and police will no longer be directly involved in the recovery of the vessel.”
Van Hill’s family has expressed frustration at the red tape standing in the way of non-official resources who want to search the water for their missing friend.
“As Travis works on the lake, coworkers and others he knows have the means to search for him, dive for him and pull the boat out,” step daughter Maddy Pool wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
“But, all of our efforts to rescue our family member have been dismissed simply because there needs to be paperwork in order.”
Pool said van Hill would do “anything for anybody at any time, no questions asked,” but when his life is at risk and urgency is needed to potentially save him, “heels are being dragged.”
The RCMP said the public can expect VSAR resources to be out on the lake at various times over the next several days as the search for van Hill continues.
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