The victim of a drowning in Kamloops on July 30 has been confirmed as Vernon doctor Michael Mthandazo. Mthandazo’s body has yet to be recovered from the Thompson River. Police have searched the river with divers, by boat, plane and drone since he disappeared in the river near McArthur Island. In a GoFundMe campaign set up over the weekend, the family says: “It is with heavy hearts that we announce that the search for Dr. Michael Mthandazo continues’. Mthandazo moved to Vernon in January 2021 and served as a family physician at the Mainstreet Medical Building. He was in Kamloops to play in a recreational soccer tournament. According to the GoFundMe page, Mthandazo apparently went for a swim with his son but had to save the boy from the strong current. “The current began to pick up speed and although he was able to help his son out of the water, he was unable to get out himself,” the page says. “Unfortunately he was swept away and his body has yet to be recovered.” Mthandazo was his family’s sole breadwinner and had no extended family locally. He leaves his wife, Julia, and two sons, ages 11 and 8 months. Friends started the fundraising campaign to ease some of the family’s financial burden. Photo: Castanet Staff
