Update: Dive Team Unable To Find Missing Teacher/Boater

Jul 23, 2018 | 12:12 PM

The RCMP’s Underwater Recovery Team has completed a search of a local lake for a missing man.

58 year old John Keeley, a teacher at Vernon Secondary, has been missing since last Wednesday after gong kayaking on Mabel Lake near Lumby.

RCMP Staff Sgt. Annie Linteau says the police dive team conducted searches where the kayak was last seen, and where Keeley would have launched his boat, but nothing was found.

“As the water quality was good, the search area was expanded in the general vicinity, with negative results,” says Linteau.

Linteau says the rest of the lake is too deep for the dive team to search.

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“The dive team has now concluded their search of the area.”

Linteau says RCMP will resume an aerial search of the lake on Thursday, and Vernon Search and Rescue is planning to be on the water Friday and Saturday.

RCMP say John Keeley yet to be located, with search continuing for 3rd day on Mabel Lake. "We have requested assistance of the Underwater Recovery Team and they are due to arrive on location sometime Sunday or Monday," says Staff Sgt. Annie Linteau. pic.twitter.com/R7vpHieglF
— Beach Radio News (@BeachRadioNews) July 20, 2018

Update:

The Vernon School District has confirmed a man missing after a boating outing on Mabel Lake is a local teacher.

58 year old John Keeley, a math instructor at Vernon Secondary School, hasn’t been seen since leaving his home Wednesday to go kayaking on the lake near Lumby.

He was reported missing when he failed to return home that night.

School District superintendent Joe Rogers issued this statement to media Friday:

“School District 22 was saddened to hear one of our own, Mr. John Keeley, a math teacher at VSS, has been reported missing. Our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time.”

Keeley’s vehicle was found on the Mabel Lake forest service road, and his kayak was located on the lake.

Vernon Search and Rescue and RCMP Air Services have been involved in the search since Wednesday.

Update 2 pm July 19:

A search is into its second day for a man believed to have been kayaking in Mabel Lake near Lumby.

58 year old John Keeley was reported missing after failing to return home Wednesday night.

“Police attended the Mabel Lake area and located Mr. Keeley’s locked vehicle near the 22 km marker of the Mabel Lake forest service road. Mr. Keeley’s unoccupied kayak was also located on Mabel Lake,” says RCMP Staff Sgt. Annie Linteau.

Vernon Search and Rescue and RCMP Air Services are involved in the search which started last night.

John Keeley is described as Caucasian, 188 cm (6’2″) tall, 82 kg (181 lb), bald head and hazel eyes.

No clothing description or photo of Mr. Keeley is available at this time.

Anyone who has any information about his whereabouts is asked to contact Lumby RCMP at 250-547-2151.

11 am:

Search and Rescue volunteers continue their search for a missing kayaker on Mabel lake.

VSAR’s Leigh Pearson is not actively involved in the search himself, but is familiar with the details.

He says it started last night, and they were back out again this morning.

“It started last night around 10 o’ clock,” he tells Beach Radio News.

No other details about the missing person or the search are known at this point.

by Corey Fischer