Fort Simpson RCMP have called on the BC RCMP Underwater Recovery Team (URT) to assist in the search for a missing excavator operator after the machine apparently “went into standing water,” last week.
The excavator has been removed from the area, however RCMP continue to search for the missing operator. RCMP stated that “efforts to pump water out of the standing water has proven difficult and unsuccessful given the extreme weather conditions.”
The operator is presumed to have died.
The RCMP URT is a unit specially trained to deal with unique driving conditions such as the ice and extreme cold.
The RCMP continue to work with the NWT Coroner Service on this matter.