Man missing after tube capsizes on Lunenburg County river
Man was tubing with two others who made it to shore of Gold River
Searchers are scouring an area of the Gold River in Nova Scotia's Lunenburg County for a man who went missing while tubing on Monday.
RCMP said Tuesday three men had been tubing on the river near Beech Hill Road around 6:30 p.m. AT when their tubes flipped. Two men managed to get to shore, while the third was last seen drifting down the river holding onto his tube.
RCMP, including a helicopter and police dogs, as well as the military's Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre, the Chester Volunteer Fire Department, the Western Shore Fire Department and ground search and rescue teams from Lunenburg County and the Eastern Shore have been looking for the swimmer. A search and rescue water team from Halifax is also on the scene with several kayaks.
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Guillaume Tremblay said he would not release the man's age or hometown "out of respect for the family."
He said he doesn't know if the men were wearing life-jackets.
Tremblay said people should use caution in and around waterways, which still have high water levels after the weekend's historic rainfall.
"Anytime you have floodwater, there's a high risk of debris in there, so tree stumps, branches, there could be glass, metal, in some places we're seeing vehicles submerged. So there's a risk of injury if you are striking any of these objects in the water, not to mention any health risk in regards to bacteria."
Tremblay said currents could also be stronger than usual due to water levels.
"It's certainly a high risk to engage in recreational activities when floodwaters are present," he said.
Gold River flows into the Atlantic Ocean between Chester, N.S., and Mahone Bay.
