UPDATE: 3 p.m.
Sad news from the scene of Saturday's helicopter crash.
A dog that was onboard with its owner when the chopper went down has been found dead.
Family and friends had put out an urgent plea for people in the area to keep an eye out for Chalupa. The little Chihuahua was the therapy dog for a woman injured in the crash.
A family friend says Chalupa’s body was discovered Monday.
ORIGINAL 11:30 a.m.
The pilot in a weekend helicopter crash near Mabel Lake left the scene in a vehicle and remains unaccounted for, police say.
North Okanagan RCMP say the crash was reported about 8:20 p.m. when the chopper went down in the Shuswap River near the 2700 block of Mabel Lake Road, in the rural community of Hupel.
Four people were on board when the helicopter crashed.
None suffered any life-threatening injuries, and police say three were taken to hospital.
"One person, believed to be the pilot, left the scene in a vehicle prior to arrival of emergency personnel and remains unaccounted for," North Okanagan RCMP spokesperson Const. Chris Terleski says.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has been notified and is assisting in the case.
A TSB spokesperson says the agency is working in co-ordination with police "to gather information and assess the occurrence."
"We do not intend to deploy but will support as required," the TSB confirmed.
Meanwhile, a Chihuahua therapy dog that was on the helicopter remains missing.
The cause of the crash is not yet known.
