Coquitlam RCMP have confirmed a body found in the Coquitlam River Friday, Oct. 25, is that of 59-year-old Robert Belding.
The man was reported missing Sunday, Oct. 20, after he took a dog for a walk close to Pipeline Road and Galette Avenue. The dog was later found at Shaughnessy Street and David Avenue, according to a post on social media.
Coquitlam Search and Rescue (SAR) spokesperson Ian MacDonald said on Wednesday, Oct. 23, that a witness reported seeing Belding fall into the river as he tried to rescue a dog. The witness said the man was “immediately swept away.”
The river was running high and fast because of last weekend’s torrential weather that drenched parts of Coquitlam with more than 250 mm of rain and killed a Port Moody elementary school teacher when her home on nearby Quarry Road was swept away by a landslide.
In a statement, Coquitlam RCMP media relations officer, Corp. Alexa Hodgins thanked searchers for their efforts to locate Belding. The search included air, ground, K9 and drone teams, as well as neighbouring SAR.
“Our thoughts are with his family and friends as they grieve the loss of their loved one,” said Hodgins of Belding.
—With files from Alanna Kelly, Glacier Media, and The Canadian Press
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