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Coquitlam man missing after atmospheric river discovered
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Coquitlam man missing after atmospheric river discovered

A man reported missing following last weekend’s atmospheric river in Coquitlam has been located, Coquitlam RCMP have confirmed.

No further information has been released.

Robert Belding, 59, was last seen on Sunday, October 20.

Coquitlam, located just east of Vancouver, was one of the areas hardest hit by a river weather system that slammed into southern British Columbia last weekend, dumping more than 250 millimeters of rain.

Ian MacDonald of Coquitlam Search and Rescue told the Canadian Press earlier this week that a witness reported seeing Belding fall into the swollen Coquitlam River while trying to rescue a dog and that he was “immediately taken away.”

WATCH | In-depth research in Coquitlam:

Crews search for man who may have fallen into Coquitlam River

CBC News speaks to the family of a man who reportedly fell into the swollen Coquitlam River on Sunday, as search and rescue teams and police continue their search.

The dog was later found by local residents after reaching the shore, MacDonald said.

An extensive search was conducted, including helicopter flyovers and a maritime team. Three other people have been confirmed dead during last weekend’s weather events, including Coquitlam teacher Sonya McIntyre, who was killed when her house was swept away by a mudslide and two Vancouver Island men who were swept into the Sarita River when water swept away Bamfield Road.