Home »
Zeke Fantuz pulled from Bull River
Shortly before a memorial was planned for 20-year-old Jaffray resident Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Fantuz on Saturday (July 6), his body was found in the Bull River by searchers.
Fantuz was still inside his truck, which left the Bull River Forest Service Road the night of June 24. He was still in his seat belt, a family member reported to e-KNOW.
“The submerged vehicle was located by a family member who contacted the RCMP who then contacted Search and Rescue. Search and Rescue teams attended the scene and were successful that night (July 5) in attaching a line to the vehicle to prevent it from moving further downstream,” reported Cranbrook RCMP Cpl. Pat Prefontaine.
“After first light on Saturday, July 6, Cranbrook RCMP along with swift water and rope rescue teams from Search and Rescue units from Kimberley, Cranbrook, Fernie and Sparwood attended the scene. Search and Rescue teams were successful in having the vehicle towed closer to shore at which time the body of 20-year-old Zeke Fantuz, was recovered from the vehicle,” Prefontaine explained.
The truck, a 1994 Nissan Pathfinder, has also been recovered from the river.
Searching friends and family members, as well as Search and Rescue and RCMP, spent 12 days combing the river downstream from the scene where the truck left the road.
“In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Zeke Fantuz Memorial Fund. Proceeds from this fund will be used to create a legacy for Zeke. Those wishing to contribute may do so through any CIBC branch. The account is temporarily under the name of “Christine Fantuz In Trust for Zeke Fantuz” Transit #: 00970 Account #: 7787987
Donations may also be sent through PayPal and Interac e-Transfer using [email protected] .
If anyone has any additional information about this incident they can call the Cranbrook RCMP at 250-489-3471 or East Kootenay Crimestoppers (1-800-222-TIPS).
The Cranbrook RCMP would like to thank everyone who assisted in the search and recovery efforts.
Elsewhere in the region, the two young men, 21-year-old Stephen Thomson of Canal Flats and 18-year-old Nicholas Hoefnagels of Carstairs, Alberta, who went missing after the truck they were riding in on Findlay Creek Forest Service Road on June 8/9, and landed in the creek, have not been found.
The truck was located June 16 above Findlay Falls, west of Canal Flats, and has been removed after extensive effort.
e-KNOW
