A man remains missing in Coquitlam, B.C., on Thursday but his family has not given up hope.
Robert Belding‘s family and friends have been tirelessly looking for any sign of him after he was last seen on Sunday.
“So I’m trying to stay analytical and stay positive and stay just focused on the task of finding him,” daughter Jessica Belding said.
“But of course, it’s hard. It’s just a roller coaster of emotions.”
Jessica said her dad and uncle were at a friend’s place, helping clean up a flooded basement due to the atmospheric river, when her dad went to take the dog out for a washroom break.
He has not been seen since but the dog was found downstream, cold and wet but alive.
“The first night, it just seemed so, like, not real, that I was pretty numb to it,” Jessica said.
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Search and rescue officials said a witness told them they saw Belding with the dog.
“He apparently was going to try to rescue a dog that had gone into the water,” Coquitlam Search and Rescue manager Ian MacDonald told Global News.
“Now, that’s almost as soon as he went in. My understanding is that he was swept away.”
Jessica said her dad is strong and they are keeping up hope he is still going to be found.
With more rain expected on the weekend, Search and Rescue crews say swiftwater teams are anticipated to be deployed on Friday.
“If we lose this opportunity, we may not have it back until, who knows, next spring,” MacDonald said.
The family is asking for anyone in the area to keep their eyes open for him or any clues.
“It’s just terrible not knowing where your loved one is,” Jessica said. “And I really don’t wish this on anyone.”
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
