Following a second day of searching, RCMP have confirmed that two more bodies, a man and a woman, were recovered from the Skeena River earlier today.
The body of a third man was recovered yesterday.
"It is with great sadness that we have to inform the public of this incident," said Const. Matt Ericson, spokesman for the Prince Rupert RCMP detachment in a release sent out this afternoon. "Our sincere condolences go out to the family and friends affected by this tragic event."
The trio, who have all been identified and are from the Terrace area, were reported missing November 11 in the area of the Frizzell Hot Springs, located 33 kilometres east of Prince Rupert.
“On November 11, 2013 at approximately 11:40 p.m. Members of the Prince Rupert RCMP Detachment received a complaint of three overdue boaters,” said the release.
RCMP were immediately dispatched to the group's last known location, where they located two unoccupied vehicles, says the release. But given the time of night police were unable to conduct a search of the area at that time. The following morning at daybreak members of Terrace Search and Rescue, RCMP West Coast Marine Services and the Canadian Coast Guard re-attended the scene and began searching for the missing boaters by land and air, continues the release.
Mid-afternoon yesterday, November 12, “searchers recovered the body of a deceased man believed to be one of the overdue boaters. Due to extreme weather conditions the search was suspended for the night and resumed the following day of November 13th, 2013. During this second search effort police and search and rescue recovered the bodies of a second man and third woman,” states the release.
The search is now concluded and the investigation has been handed over to the British Columbia Coroner’s Service. At this stage, investigators are confident in advising the public that this matter is not suspicious in nature.
The names and ages of the victims have not been released publicly at this time.