Officer swept away after boat capsizes near Mayo

A search is underway for an RCMP officer missing in the Mayo area.

A search is underway for an RCMP officer missing in the Mayo area.

The unnamed 26-year-old constable was in a small RCMP aluminum boat that capsized Tuesday evening on the Stewart River near the village of Mayo, four hours north of Whitehorse.

Police say the man decided to swim to shore but was not wearing a life jacket and was quickly lost from sight.

A second officer who stayed with the overturned vessel was rescued by witnesses who rushed to help after watching from shore as the aluminum river boat filled with cold water and flipped.

Some searched for the missing officer all night. A helicopter joined the search until 3 a.m. today.

Searchers resumed their work at 5 a.m. today.

The missing constable, who is married, has been with the force for one year.

He was posted to the three-member Mayo detachment but a spokesman with the RCMP’s M Division in the Yukon says the man’s name is not being released while family members are notified.

It was not clear if the two officers were on duty at the time of the incident.

Reached this morning, Mayo Mayor Scott Bolton declined to comment.

Emergency Measures Organization officials in Whitehorse also would not comment.

By STAR STAFF–CP