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Gordon Rice found deceased
Missing Cranbrook resident Gordon Rice’s body has been discovered near Mud Lake.
Late in the afternoon of August 25 a local couple riding in their side-by-side near Mud Lake came upon his truck.
Aware of the missing man, the couple called Cranbrook RCMP, who this morning discovered his body near his vehicle.
“Due to the time of the evening and diminishing day light, police remained on scene overnight and then conducted a search at first light (this morning),” said Cranbrook RCMP Detachment NCO S/Sgt. Dave Dubnyk.
Police located a deceased individual nearby and continue to investigate the matter in conjunction with the BC Coroner’s Service. At this time police are not considering the death to be suspicious.
“Police would like to thank the public for all of the tips that were called in with regard to this investigation,” Dubnyk said.
The couple who found the truck, speaking to e-KNOW on terms of anonymity, said they were aware of Rice’s disappearance after having had a phone conversation with his daughter they day before.
“She explained that they had scoured so many places and RCMP interviewed so many people; she thought of us and how much time we spent in the backcountry,” they related. “She asked if we could be extra diligent and let others from the area to be extra watchful.”
The couple did not believe they would find anything but decided to head out all the same.
“We decided to go out the day after she called and check all the side roads off Lamb Creek up to 14 km. We found his truck near the Artisian well. It was parked on the left side of the road, looking completely inconspicuous. Keys in the ignition and at first we could not see anything inside as the back windows and canopy were tinted. When we looked again as the sun was going down… we could see he was not inside. We contacted police and arranged to meet at Mineral Lake on Lamb Creek Road so we could take them to the site,” they explained.
Mud Lake is about 4.8 km up Lamb Creek Forest Service Road.
On August 20, around 11 a.m., 74-year old Gordon Rice left his residence in Cranbrook driving a silver 2009 Chevrolet pickup truck with a silver canopy on it. He was scheduled to play golf in Cranbrook and return home shortly after, but was not heard from or seen since leaving his residence, prompting a large search.
Ian Cobb/e-KNOW
