B.C. premier says atmospheric river death toll could rise as third fatality confirmed

Mounties in British Columbia say a second person has been found dead after two vehicles ended up in a river on Vancouver Island when a road washed out amid torrential rains over the weekend.

Mounties in British Columbia say a second person has been found dead after two vehicles ended up in a river on Vancouver Island when a road washed out amid torrential rains over the weekend.

A total of three deaths have now been officially attributed to the atmospheric river that caused intense flooding on B.C.'s south coast. But the death toll from the extreme weather event could still rise, according to B.C. Premier David Eby.

The body of the first victim was recovered from the Sarita River on Sunday, the same day that the remains of a 57-year-old teacher were found after her home was destroyed by a mudslide in Metro Vancouver.

Speaking to reporters in Victoria on Tuesday, Eby said a fourth death – that of a man in the Columbia Valley – "may be associated with the atmospheric river," but the coroner is still investigating the circumstances.

A 59-year-old man is still missing after he took his dog for a walk Sunday near the surging Coquitlam River, east of Vancouver. "The dog has been found alive, but troublingly, the dog was very wet and the man is missing," Eby said.

In a statement Tuesday, the Port Alberni RCMP said it had located the body of the second washout victim inside their submerged vehicle near Bamfield, however authorities were still working to recover the remains.

"Due to the remaining high-water levels and swift water currents, they could not be safely accessed," the statement said, adding both vehicles and the second victim will be retrieved from the river as water levels recede.