A Mount Currie man is missing and presumed drowned after an incident last week near the confluence of the Bridge and Fraser rivers near Lillooet.

Joshua Gabriel, 22, was visiting family members who were fishing near the confluence of the two rivers on Thursday (Aug. 26), Sgt. Fran Bethell of the Lillooet RCMP said in a statement issued on Monday (Aug. 30).

At approximately 7 p.m., Gabriel — who according to witnesses had been drinking most of the day — twice jumped from a rock ledge into the Fraser River and swam to shore. He then jumped into the river a third time and the strong currents caught him and carried him downstream, police said.

People nearby tried to reach him with fishing poles but he couldn’t grab on, Bethell said. A short distance downstream, witnesses lost sight of Gabriel, she said.

Police activated search-and-rescue teams, the Department of Fisheries launched the department’s river boat and a private helicopter took part in the search. For the next two days search-and-rescue teams and an RCMP helicopter continued the search, covering the area between Lillooet and Lytton, but found no sign of the missing man, Bethell said.

The search was called off late Saturday (Aug. 28).

“There have been no sightings of Joshua since we went into the river and given the strong currents and it is presumed that given high volume of water in the Fraser River… he would not have been able to survive,” Bethell said.

Police have been in close contact with Gabriel’s family and Victim Services has been providing them with support since the incident. The police investigation is ongoing, Bethell said.

Teen found ‘alive, well’

A 17-year-old New Westminster girl who was reported missing in Whistler on the weekend was later found alive and well.

Maggie Fu was reported missing on Saturday (Aug. 28) at around 6 p.m. after she became separated from her family while walking with her family in Whistler Village about two hours earlier. Police and Whistler Search and Rescue launched an intensive search, and on Sunday (Aug. 29) at 2:25 p.m., Whistler RCP reported that she had been found “alive and well.”

Whistler RCMP Staff Sgt. Steve LeClair said Fu had spent the night in a wooded area near the base of Whistler Mountain. On Sunday, she phoned her mother and the family was reunited.

“Whistler RCMP would like to thank Whistler Search and Rescue for their efforts towards locating Ms. Fu,” he said in a statement. “As well, police would like to thank the public for tips received following the public appeal for information. The investigation into this matter is now closed and the incident is being treated as a personal family matter.”

Man found with stolen licence plate

A Pemberton man faces a charge of possession of stolen property after an incident that occurred on an unnamed gravel road just off Eagle Drive on Monday (Aug. 30) at 10:43 a.m.

Pemberton RCMP responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle found a man with a licence plate that was later found to have been stolen from a green Jeep Cherokee on Aug. 5 in D’Arcy. The man, a 54-year-old from Pemberton, faces a charge of possession of stolen property, LeClair said.

Inukshuk sign stolen

Police are investigating the theft of the metal sign from the front of the inukshuk at the entrance to Whistler Village.

A municipal worker on Sunday (Aug. 29) reported to police that the sign touting Whistler’s place as host of the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games had been missing since last Wednesday (Aug. 25). The sign’s value is unknown, but police are investigating.

Two issued suspensions

Two people were issued 24-hour licence suspensions in Whistler last week after police found them driving under the influence of marijuana.

The first incident occurred on Thursday (Aug. 26) at 2:55 a.m. in Emerald Estates. After police pulled over a vehicle for speeding along a residential street, they noticed the strong smell of marijuana and the driver admitted he had just smoked marijuana. He was issued a 24-hour driving suspension.

On Sunday at 6:13 p.m., police on patrol on Highway 99 north of Whistler Village stopped a vehicle traveling approximately 95 kilometres per hour, LeClair said. Upon stopping the vehicle, officers noticed the strong smell of marijuana. The driver, a 47-year-old man from Langley, was issued a 24-hour driving suspension for impairment by drugs, had his vehicle towed, and was cited for speeding.

IPhone stolen

On Tuesday (Aug. 31) at 2:35 a.m., a man reported that an unknown assailant had jumped him in Whistler Village and stolen his iPhone. The alleged victim reported that he stopped the man and had him in a headlock before someone else struck the victim from behind, causing him to lose his grip on the alleged thief. Police are investigating.

Truck broken into

On Saturday at 4:30 p.m., a man who had been riding in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park returned to his truck in Day Skier Lot 5 and found another man sitting in the driver’s seat of his truck. After a brief confrontation, the suspect fled and the victim gave chase while phoning police. Police joined the pursuit but the suspect couldn’t be found, LeClair said.

The suspect left behind several baggies containing drugs, which are being analyzed, LeClair said. He is described as Caucasian, 5 feet, 10 inches tall, in his 30s, with a medium to heavy build. At the time of the incident he was wearing a tan hat and pants and a dark green shirt. Anyone with information is asked to phone Whistler RCMP at (604) 932-3044 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Prohibited driver caught

On Friday at 4 p.m., police conducting a seat belt check along Blackcomb Way asked the driver of a vehicle whether she should have an ‘N’ (for new driver) on her vehicle. They then asked for he driver’s licence, but she could not produce one.

On subsequent investigation it was discovered that the woman was prohibited from driving. The driver, a 29-year-old from Mount Currie, faces a charge of driving while prohibited, LeClair said.

Bikes stolen

Mountain bikes were reported stolen in three separate incidents during the past week.

All three reports came on Wednesday, Aug. 25. In the first, a black-and-pink valley cruiser bike was reported stolen from outside an ice cream shop. The combination lock was left behind, LeClair said.

On the same day, a complainant reported that a wire bike lock was cut and a 2007 model Kona Garbanzo was stolen from the back of a truck that was parked on Daisy Lane in Barnfield.

The third report was of a Kona Custom bike that was stolen from behind a Whistler Village hotel. The theft reportedly occurred on Aug. 15, but the victim waited until last week to report it after consulting with his insurance company, LeClair said.