An unidentified male has fallen through the ice on the Kettle River just east of Grand Forks and is presumed deceased.
A spokesperson from Nelson Search and Rescue said that swift water emergency services crews would be brought in to work with Search and Rescue as well as local Grand Forks emergency crews to recover the body.
The spokesperson said the man fell through the ice just past the bridge outside of Grand Forks at approximately 2:45 p.m. yesterday (Wednesday, Dec. 30).
Highway 3 was closed in both directions due to the accident but has since been reopened both ways.
Emergency crews convened this morning (Thursday, Dec. 31) at the Grand Forks Fire Hall before heading to attempt to recover the body.
A press release from yesterday (4:15 p.m. Dec. 30) from the RCMP stated:
The Grand Forks RCMP and local Fire Department have attended to the Kettle River area along Hwy 3 near Grand Forks following a report of a man falling through the ice.
At around 2:45 pm, on Wednesday December 30, 2015, the Grand Forks RCMP, Grand Forks Fire Department and BC Ambulance Services received a report of a male falling through the ice on the Kettle River just east of Grand Forks. RCMP officers arrived on the scene and spotted the man through binoculars and observed the man in the water hanging on to the ice edge. RCMP officers were a distance away when they spotted him and were unable to reach him prior to the man losing his grip and going under. It is unclear why the man was out on the ice, with possible indications that the man may have been taking a short cut across the river.
The identity of the man is unknown at this time. Cold water recovery trained Fire Dept personnel are currently beginning a search for the man with additional resources from Nelson Search and Rescue being called out to assist.
The Grand Forks RCMP are unable at this time to provide details of the man’s description and his identity is unknown at this time. Anyone with any information on the man's identity is urged to call the RCMP at 250-442-8288.