Recovery efforts near Lillooet, British Columbia have confirmed four deaths from a mudslide along Highway 99 after severe flooding devastated the region last weekend.
The RCMP and BC Coroners Service recovered three men’s bodies from debris along Duffey Lake Road, following the earlier discovery of a woman’s body on Monday. The deaths are part of a broader crisis triggered by extreme rainfall and severe flooding that struck southern British Columbia.
Search Efforts Halted
Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe announced Saturday that search teams have exhausted all current avenues to locate a fourth missing man. “All current search avenues have been exhausted,” Lapointe said, as teams faced dangerous conditions including adverse weather and an unstable site environment.
Staff Sgt. Janelle Shoihet of the BC RCMP noted that the challenging terrain and weather made further exploration too hazardous to continue. Active search operations have concluded for now, though authorities remain in discussion about potential future actions.
Next Steps and Highway Closure
The BC Coroners Service is working to formally identify the deceased and notify next of kin. Lapointe described the situation as part of an “incredibly challenging year” for the province and said the agency aims to develop recommendations to prevent similar tragedies.
Highway 99 remains closed to all motorists with no confirmed reopening timeline as the region continues recovery efforts from the November 15 disaster.
This story has been updated. CNN’s British Columbia bureau contributed to this report.
