Body of missing fire chief swept away by flood located in B.C.'s Interior
Crews began searching for Clayton Cassidy after he went missing during floods May 5
RCMP say the body of a missing fire chief who was swept away by flood waters in Cache Creek, B.C., has been found.
Clayton Cassidy was reported missing after his vehicle was found near a washed-out bridge where he was last spotted on May 5.
Ashcroft RCMP say Cassidy's body was discovered late Saturday night by the Ashcroft fire department during their daily patrol of Cache Creek, near the washed-out bridge.
Cassidy had been checking water levels at the creek — located an hour west of Kamloops — when he was last seen, ahead of several weeks of flooding in the Interior.
'A golden saint of a man'
"He's just a golden saint of a man and everybody meets him wishes that they could be a little more like Clayton Cassidy," said Cache Creek Mayor John Ranta.
Ranta said Cassidy was a stalwart in the community who was loved by everybody for his service with the fire department, as a minor hockey coach and the way he would volunteer for "anything that would be of assistance to his community members."
"Clayton was a friend of everybody in the community," he said. "That's why it's so devastating to lose a citizen like that who is so highly respected by everyone."
Clayton's dedication to his community was lauded in 2016 for his actions during the 2015 Cache Creek flash floods. He received B.C.'s Medal of Good Citizenship.
"He was here during the flood of 2015 long after other volunteers had left. He was still working 12- and 14-hour days trying to assist people who were negatively impacted by the flood."
A family man
Cassidy was close to his large extended family. He was the fourth of eight siblings.
"He's extremely family orientated man with three boys and the grandchildren. That was his life. Integrity, morals, and just somebody you could actually talk to," said his younger brother Patrick Cassidy.
"Everybody that's here is just so shocked and so sorry because everybody knew him because he was just that kind of good guy."
With files from Tara Copeland.