Investigators search Stikine River in Northern B.C. for missing Belgian man
'You don't know what it's like to be 10,000 km away without knowing anything'
A Belgian man is still missing in Northern B.C. after falling from his boat into the fast-moving Stikine River Thursday.
Stéphane Goosse, 25, was on a canoe with a co-worker on the Stikine River near the B.C.-Alaska border when their canoe overturned the afternoon of August 3, 2017.
His co-worker made it to shore but Goosse never surfaced.
Goosse's brother Germain told CBC News from Belgium it's been a difficult few days for him and his family. He was supposed to see his brother back home in just two weeks.
"The worst is that we don't know what happened," he said. "[Did] he fall and die — or is he still alive waiting for someone to rescue him in the middle of nowhere?"
"You don't know what it's like to be 10,000 km away without knowing anything," said Goosse.
He is asking people to keep an eye out for his brother.
"Maybe a hunter or somebody [can] pay attention to little things that they don't usually pay attention to," Goosse said.
Area only accessible by aircraft
RCMP media spokesperson Cpl. Dan Moskaluk says the area Goosse went missing in is an extremely remote area.
He says there are many different people involved in the search including Atlin Search and Rescue, Terrace Search and Rescue, the RCMP air services, the commercial fisheries outlet Goosse worked for, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Wrangell, Alaska fire department.
"The Stikine River is a very fast moving river, and the conditions are quite treacherous, especially this time of year," Moskaluk said.
Goosse said he and his family wanted to fly to Canada to help but was told to stay in Belgium.
"If American or Canadian [searchers nor his workmates] cannot find him, we can't either."