Missing jet ski rider lost on South Sask. River identified, search continues

The City of Saskatoon is warning residents to stay off the river as the fire department continues its search for the body of a jet ski rider.

The City of Saskatoon has urged people to stay off the South Saskatchewan River as the Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) continues to look for a missing person who entered the weir on a jet ski over the weekend.

Two boats dispatched from the SFD have been searching the shoreline and the river south of the weir using sonar equipment following the incident.

The SFD responded to a call around 4:45 p.m. on Saturday about the person who had been driving the jet ski. After crews attempted a rescue with specialized equipment, the rescue efforts transitioned into recovery efforts which have been ongoing since Saturday.

In a Tuesday update, the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) identified the missing person as Adan Vargas Salvador, a 32-year-old visiting from Mexico.

SPS said his family has requested that his photo be released.

Salvador’s family says they are located in Mexico while he has been living in Saskatoon.

Additionally, the family provided a statement asking for anyone with information regarding the incident to come forward.

Investigators with the SPS are in contact with family, the update said, and the search for Salvador’s body continues.

In a recent news release by the City of Saskatoon, the public was warned that higher-than-usual water levels have created an increased risk to public safety.

“Typical flows are about 160 cubic metres per second, currently they are almost double that around 296 cubic metres per second.

Stay away from the area of the weir. Usually, there are buoys across the river downstream of the University Bridge. The river boom was recently damaged during the ongoing rapid water flow event," read the release.