Yukon RCMP continue with 'recovery' efforts for missing man; wife says she's been kept in the dark

Yukon RCMPsay the search continues for an Arizona man missing since last week, when the vehicle he was in plunged into the Yukon River south of Whitehorse. And police are now describingtheir efforts as a"recovery" operationto find the body of Knate Ostenso.

"We're doing our best to try to recover the missing individual to give some closure for the family," said RCMP spokesperson Calista MacLeodon Thursday.

Ostensowas one of two men in the pickup truck that went into the river near the Lewes River bridge early on Sep. 16. The driver managed to escape the vehicle after it went into the water.

Police confirmed last week that Ostenso was not found in the submerged vehicle.

MacLeod said police continue to do boat patrols in the area to try to find Ostenso, including on Thursday. She also said ahelicopter would be out searching the area on Friday.

She said people have drowned in Yukon's waterways before, and part of thecurrent search efforts involves drawing on research and evidence about undercurrents and the river's flow.

"Certainly those types of experiences, unfortunate experiences of different tragic events, will help to sort of identify the probable or potential areas where Mr. Ostensomight be located," MacLeod said.

"It's really about recovery at this point."

Missing man's wife praises Yukoners, criticizespolice

Ostenso'swife,NorineMihajlovich, hadbeen holding out hope last week that he may have escaped the waterand becomelost while trying to find safety. She pleaded with Yukonerslast week to help search for her husband, describing him as a "fighter."

Speaking to CBC News on Wednesday, she acknowledged that even if Ostensomanaged to escape from the river, it's unlikely that he will befound alive at this point.

"I told my kids their father was gone dead," she said.

Mihajlovich is effusive in expressing her gratitude towardYukoners who have helped with the search efforts since last week.

Those efforts"have been so overwhelming for not only me,but for Knate's friends, for Knate's family, for everyone," she said from her home in Arizona.

"I cannot express how amazing they are."

She has a harsher opinion ofthe Yukon RCMP, saying they've kept her mostly in the dark about their ongoing search, and their investigation into how the vehicle wentinto the river.She also questions their decision to initially focusthesearch for Ostenso to the river and the submerged vehicle, instead of immediately mounting a larger operation toscour the wider area,in case Ostensohad survived the plunge.

"Search and rescue should have been called, helicopters should have been set up. They should have had search by land, and search by boat. They should have had dogs out there," she said.

Mihajlovich also describes being stymied in her efforts to get more information from RCMP. She describes police as being dismissive, and saysone officer toldhershe was "not being very pleasant."

"This is what I have been experiencing since day one," she said on Wednesday.

MacLeod, the RCMPspokesperson, told CBC that police understand how difficult this is for Mihajlovich, and they're doing everything they can to keep her informed about the investigation. MacLeodsaid police typically establish a family liaison to communicate with a designated representative of the family.

Shealso said she could not speak to the assertion that an officer called Mihajlovich "unpleasant."

"Our hearts really go out to her [Mihajlovich]," MacLeod said. "This cannot be easy for her, and it can't be easy to maybe process everything that is happening."

MacLeodalso said police can't always provide "complete, detailed information" about ongoing investigations.

"Sometimes we don't have all the facts yet ourselves, right?We don't know until the investigation advances," she said.

"Motor vehicle collisions can be complicated. There's a number of things that investigators have to look at, and those types of things take time."