Police have confirmed that the body in a flooded property near Mission Creek was that of a woman from Kelowna who was reported missing almost two weeks ago.
Chelsea Cardno, 31, was last seen taking her German Shepherd for a walk on Mission Greenway on June 14, off the coast of Mission Creek.
At that time, the city was in a state of emergency due to dangerously high water levels and floods. The creek had overflowed its banks, flooding many roads, yards, and basements.
Cardno’s family, police, search and rescue teams and hundreds of volunteers toured the area after she disappeared, but the swollen river banks of the flood were too volatile to approach safely.
The Okanagan Central Search and Rescue Service (COSAR) conducted a ground, water and air search of Cardno and told CBC News that they began a “search” of the area on Wednesday afternoon after the river level dropped using drones searching ground and a boat at the mouth of the river.
A farmer who owns the land found her body around 5pm on Friday, near Block 3600 on Berard Road, which is next to Mission Creek, said an RCMP spokesman in Kelowna Const. Michael Della-Paolera.
The landowner found the body while inspecting his field for flood damage, he said.
Mission Creek near Kelowna, British Columbia, was seen Wednesday. Chelsea Cardno was last seen taking her dog for a walk in the area near the river on June 14. (Tom Popik / CBC)
In a Facebook post, Cardno’s mother Diane thanked everyone who helped with the search. “The community has come together to bring my sweet peas home and I will be forever grateful,” she said.
Police say there is no ongoing criminal investigation and that BC’s coroner’s office is the lead investigator.
“We are all saddened by the result, but we hope that the family can end and begin the healing process,” Della-Paolera said in a written statement.
Cardno’s dog has not been found and is believed to have been swept away by the river. According to the River Forecast Center, water levels have returned to normal in the Kelowna area.
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