By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
The search continues for the 41-year old Oliver man, now identified on social media by friends and family as Tom Dennehy who is still missing and presumed drowned in Osoyoos Lake after going to the aid of his distressed dog on Monday night.
On Saturday (July 31) recovery efforts were given a boost by the arrival of a four-member team from the RCMP’s E-Division Underwater Recovery Team (URT).
With more advanced sonar capability the team was out on the water at about 9:30 a.m. to begin searching a 500 m² area. The four-member team from Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, northern B.C. and the Interior is drawn from 24 members across the province who are trained in underwater recovery.
Once on the water the team manually lowers a sonar device mounted on a tripod to the lake floor where it will scan the bottom. Once an object is detected the team will focus the scan to determine if the target matches that of a body and if so, divers will be sent down to undertake the recovery.
One of the team members noted Osoyoos Lake is well suited for this type of scan because it has a sandy flat bottom. The area in which the search is being conducted is about 40 metres (130 ft) deep.
In a briefing just prior to the start of the search, Osoyoos RCMP detachment commander Sgt. Jason Bayda noted the task is not a pleasant one for the recovery team members, but that they are driven by the desire to bring closure to the families in situations such as this.
Bayda also urged all boaters to wear their lifejackets while on the lake, even if they are strong swimmers. He also cautioned those playing with their dogs on the water to be aware of the fact dogs will sometimes climb onto the backs of their owners, particularly if they are distressed.
