A member of the Whistler Search and Rescue Society who has been missing since Thursday has been found dead, the British Columbia Search and Rescue Association confirmed on Sunday.
Toby Salin was last seen in Pemberton on Thursday morning, and his disappearance was sparked by numerous agencies and strong support from the search and rescue community.
“It is with a heavy heart that we confirm the death of Whistler SAR member Toby Salin,” BCSARA said on a Facebook post on Sunday.
“Toby will be remembered for his strong commitment to SAR, his incredible work ethic and his dry sense of humor. Many will miss him.”
In her own Facebook post, Whistler SAR offered her “deepest condolences” to Salin’s family, friends and colleagues.
“Our hearts are full of this sad news,” the research team said. “We will miss you, Toby, and we will never forget you and your unwavering support as a volunteer and member. Rest in peace.”
On Saturday, BCSARA senior director Dwight Yochim said CTV News members are used to being called in to try to find missing people, but Salin’s search was an emotional undertaking for the close-knit volunteer community.
“Almost every team in the province that is aware of what is going on has joined hands,” he said. “It’s a family.”
The 3,000 members of BC’s search and rescue teams, Yochim said, will often be called to other parts of the province when help is needed, as was the case when catastrophic floods affected parts of BC last year.
“It may be two in the morning and you’re working with people you may never have met, but you entrust your life to them. As you can imagine, when one of us disappears, you want to leave. All the stops,” he said.
The Salin truck was found near the In-SHUCK-ch Forest Service Road, southeast of Pemberton, local groups said in a statement on Friday, adding that “Pemberton Search and Rescue, RCMP Air Services, Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team, Pemberton RCMP, Stl ‘Atl’imx Tribal Police, Local Residents and RCMP Police Integrated Dog Services’ had been involved in an unsuccessful man search 51 years old.