The continuous limited search is an individual effort on the part of boaters, kayaks and campers in the area.

Koehler and his wife Gaby, were canoeing in the Pelican Rapids when the canoe they were in capsized in very dangerous waters. Sources close to the search said the couple could not keep the canoe from being sucked into the rapids.

Ms. Koehler was rescued shaken but unharmed when she was found on a small rock island in the rapids. The twisted wreckage of the canoe was found during a RCMP investigation. The investigation lasted less than 48 hours when community members decided to take up the search initiative.

Monica Alhstrum, media relations officer with an Alberta contingent of search and rescue workers, said there was a 95 per cent probability that Koehlar was not in the areas already searched.

"Everyone's human and everyone feels," Ahlstrum said. "It's bad to have this kind of ending. Having a body is better than this."

Alhstrum said that Gaby Koehlar, who declined requests for an interview, is satisfied with the search effort.

"This river is one of the most dangerous and unforgiving in all of Canada. At this point I don't want to say that he is dead because anything can happen. I don't like to second guess God," Alhstrum said.

The community search was joined on Friday, June 20, by nine members of the Rocky Mountain House volunteer team, search managers from Fort McMurray RCMP, two canine tracking dogs, numerous boaters, kayaks, fixed-wing aircraft, and helicopters.

An infrared scanner was flown in by a private company the next day to help locate Koehlar.

Human footprints found earlier in the week and originally believed to be those of the missing man were later confirmed to belong to search personnel.

But Staff Sgt. Jack Kruger says police acted properly and he resents comments made by Ken Laviolette in a CBC Radio interview, broadcast last week.

Laviolette, the lead community search co-ordinator, said RCMP came back into the search because "they felt stupid for making stupid mistakes" during the initial search.

Kruger's denied police have anything to apologize for. "Historically, we (RCMP) are the first ones slammed in one of these things. I see by responding to some of that criticism that we can make an excellent search and rescue organization there," he said.

"We did a highly intense search. We called it off on the basis of what was found, namely the canoe and no body," Kruger told News/North.

However, Kruger conceded the search was not co-ordinated as well as it should have been. "When it went from a public search to a community search, there shouldn't have been any division of co-operation," he said. "I think this thing could have been resolved much quicker."

Kruger said that RCMP officers were told to leave the search co-ordination centre after the RCMP finished the initial investigation.

During the community search, a thermos and a package of soup mix were said to have been found on a hill, although it was later confirmed that the items were discovered along the shore line.

Human tracks were also found, adding to hopes that Koehlar would be found alive.

It later turned out the tracks were made by a searcher, but the thermos and soup mix were enough to convince RCMP to resume their involvement.

"This wasn't a case of 'an aboriginal person knows more than a white person.' When you put those ridiculous prejudices aside you get a very thorough and effective organization," he said.

Kruger said he believes that if the community members want to remain angry nothing will get accomplished.

Laviolette could not be reached for comment.