Still no sign of woman swept away in mudslide near Cache Creek

CACHE CREEK – The search for the body of a woman caught in a mudslide last month remains active and ongoing.

RCMP Sgt. Janelle Shoihet says in an email the search for Valerie Morris, 67, has been complex due to the unstable and unsafe terrain where the woman went missing.

"We are continuously assessing possible specialized personnel or technology which may assist in the ongoing search," Shoihet says.

Morris and her husband were on their way home from a classic car show in Kamloops when a mudslide swept their yellow 1968 Morgan convertible off the highway on Aug. 11. Her husband managed to escape in time and suffered minor injuries, however his wife was unaccounted for.

Search crews have been unsuccessful in locating the vehicle or Morris's body, Shoihet says.

"We have had the RCMP Human Remains dog out for three days with three areas they noted for further examination which was completed with the assistance of a contracted small excavator," Shoihet says in the email. "Unfortunately those sites did not prove successful in locating Valerie Morris and we are now in a position where we need to wait some more time before trying to use the Human Remain dog again."

Parts of the vehicle have been located but the body of the car has yet to be found.

Shoihet says police have been providing Morris's family with support and frequent updates.

"We will be surveying the area where it occurred after each significant rainfall to see if erosion can assist us in identifying any further areas of interest," Shoihet says.

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