A British extreme kayaker Bren Orton is missing and feared dead after he vanished in a river in Switzerland after getting trapped by currents under the rushing water, Daily Mail reports.
Bren Orton, 29, got into trouble on the Melezza River in the Ticino Region of Switzerland with police and specialist search teams hunting for him since he vanished four days ago.
Bren Orton, who in 2018 broke a world record after descending a terrifying 128ft high waterfall in Mexico in a kayak, went missing at around 2.45pm on Thursday.
A British extreme kayaker is missing and feared dead after he vanished in a river in Switzerland after getting trapped by currents under the rushing water, MailOnline can reveal today.
‘Authorities and friends are tirelessly continuing their search efforts, and at this time, Bren is considered missing’, the company said.
Police in Switzerland have been searching for Bren since Thursday afternoon. Police in nearby Italy are also believed to have been helping with the operation.
Friends and fans fear he has died. But police have not confirmed this tragic news.
A spokesmen for Ticino Police said: ‘Shortly before 2.45pm in the area of Palagnedra, a man who was previously in a kayak was reported missing in the Melezza river.
‘The searches – currently unsuccessful and still ongoing – began immediately and involve agents from the cantonal police and, in support, from the Ascona police as well as rescuers from the Locarnese and Valli Ambulance Service’.
Bren Orton has been an inspiration to kayakers all over the world.
His Instagram account has 57,000 followers and he filmed himself kayaking down a river in Italy less than 48 hours before he vanished.
He also shared a video on his popular YouTube channel going down the so-called Devil’s Slide waterfall in Val Sesia.
But it was his daring world record in 2018 that made headlines around the globe.
He completed the daring descent of Big Banana Falls in Mexico.
Incredible video footage showed the kayaker in the final tense moments at the top of the waterfall before the rapid fall into the abyss below.
The footage began with Orton high-fiving his friends as they wish him good luck.
Rowing off the edge and into the water, footage captured the heart stopping moment his entered the waterfall and fell through the air surrounded by a torrent of water.
His support team paddled to him as quick as possible trying to find him.
But seconds later he emerged from the water soon after his jump, while his relieved team cheered him on.
Bren was famously a gravedigger before becoming a professional kayaker.
He fell in love with the sport on a primary school trip to the Lake District when he was nine.
Speaking previously he said: ‘In the lead up to getting paid to go kayaking I think I’ve worked almost every job possible.
‘I worked in a call centre, as a labourer on a building site, in a gym, at the national Watersports Centre and as a gravedigger. I did some medical trials to earn money as well.
‘I only did the grave digging for a few months but the medical trials were the big one, even if they were a bit sketchy.’