Driver missing after crane goes over bridge and into river near Grande Prairie: RCMP

A damaged guardrail is pictured on the Wapiti River Bridge after a commercial crane drove off the bridge and went into the water, near Grande Prairie, Alta., on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/William Vavrek

By The Canadian Press

Posted June 18, 2026 12:44 pm.

Mounties say the driver of crane that went off a bridge and into a river in northwestern Alberta is missing.

RCMP say it happened near Grande Prairie on Tuesday, when the commercial vehicle hit a guardrail of the Wapiti River Bridge and went into the water.

Police, fire, and search and rescue volunteers responded to the scene.

Corp. Mathew Howell says the vehicle remains submerged and the cause of the collision is under investigation.

Howell says divers haven’t been able to go into the river, because the current is too strong.

He says police plan to use sonar technology next week in their search.

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