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Crawford Creek body believed to be missing Nelson teacher

Alvin Dunic went missing near Crawford Bay on May 29
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It’s been nearly two months since Crawford Bay teacher Alvin Dunic went missing, and now authorities believe they’ve found his body in nearby Crawford Creek.

The body was recovered by Nelson Search and Rescue on Wednesday, with the assistance of B.C. Ambulance and the Creston RCMP. Although they won’t be able to confirm his identity until the autopsy is completed, West Kootenay public information officer Chris Armstrong is confident they’ve found Dunic.

“What happened here was he was under a log jam, and when the river receded it split open and exposed him at the deepest point,” he told the Star.

“We all feel relieved. This gives closure to the family and also to us. We’ve invested 3,700-plus man-hours into this. We feel we have successfully found Alvin and closed this missing person case.”

The 57-year-old left his unlocked car on Woolgar Road on May 29, near the Crawford Creek trailhead, while looking for a suitable location to host a school activity. His wife Teeka Ferguson was on scene during the lengthy search, with his daughters, and the Nelson community has put together a meal train and support network for his family.

Little evidence remains after the body spent two months underwater, but Armstrong said this appears to be a natural drowning — something that won’t be confirmed until the coroner’s service completes its investigation.

Creston RCMP and BC Ambulance assisted Armstrong, who has been routinely returning to the creek to check water levels since the search was suspended in mid-June.

The initial ground search involved nearly 100 concerned residents and over 70 search and rescue personnel.