One local man is missing after his vehicle crashed into Nicola Lake on Highway 5A, just north of the dam, on June 20, 2022 around 8:00pm.

Merritt Frontline RCMP Officers responded to the report of the vehicle crashing near the dam, and say that witnesses saw the vehicle submerge into the water, with the driver only having been seen for a split second.

The missing driver is Daniel Nathan Meeker, a 42 year old male resident of Douglas Lake. Meeker is of Indigenous descent, and is 5’4” (156 cm) tall, weighing 150 lb’s (66kg). Meeker has brown hair and brown eyes.

“Witnesses noted that the vehicle quickly submerged and that a lone male surfaced briefly before disappearing under the water,” said Corporal Brock Hedrick with the Merritt RCMP.

“The vehicle has been recovered with the assistance of a private diving firm and a local tow operator. The driver was not located in or around the vehicle.”

While the cause of the collision is still being determined, police investigation was able to confirm that Meeker was the lone occupant of the vehicle at the time. Meeker, who is still missing, is believed by the RCMP to have washed down the Nicola River towards Merritt.

Despite the RCMP utilizing air services, as well as Nicola Valley Search & Rescue conducting searches of the area, Meeker has still not been located. The RCMP said in its press release that the Nicola River remains at a high level and flow, which is hampering the search effort at this time. They add that search efforts will intensify when levels decrease sufficiently.

Those with information on this incident, or Daniel Meeker, should call the Merritt RCMP at 250-378-4262.