Search and rescue mission ends for missing boater on St. John River
Crews are no longer looking for a missing Kars, N.B. man after close to 48 hours of search and rescue efforts.
Chris Pittner, 54, was declared missing by RCMP after his overturned boat was found Tuesday on the St. John River near Queenstown, about 70 kilometres north of Saint John.
Cpl. Terry Densmore of the Oromocto RCMP said search and rescue crews have been scouring the area since 2 p.m. Tuesday, including during the overnight hours.
On Wednesday afternoon, an underwater recovery team and a search helicopter were also involved in the search.
Densmore said the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Halifax has pulled out of the search as of Wednesday night. He said no search crews are in the area Thursday, but the investigation is still continuing.
"The areas that we've searched, that we believe that he was at, [have] come up negative," he said.
"We're going to follow up with some of the effects that were found during the initial search."
Densmore said crews found several items on the shore during the search, including a ball cap, but it's not known if that belongs to Pittner. He said RCMP haven't been able to confirm what he was wearing the last time he was seen.
Pittner was last seen loading his boat at the wharf in Wickham. Densmore said RCMP have not heard of a more recent sighting.
His boat was found overturned with personal belongings inside. Densmore said Thursday the RCMP are still working on confirming whether the belongings are Pittner's.
At least one team was searching from 2:20 p.m. Tuesday until 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Densmore said, and close family members have been told the search and rescue mission has ended.
