A BRIT extreme kayaker is missing and feared dead after disappearing in a river in Switzerland, reports say.
Bren Orton, 29, became trapped by currents beneath the surging water on the Melezza River in the Ticino Region.
InstagramBren Orton, is reportedly missing and feared dead[/caption]
FacebookThe 29-year-old Brit got into trouble in a river in Switzerland[/caption]
InstagramBren had filmed himself kayaking in Italy (pictured) just hours before his disappearance[/caption]
The Brit kayaker, who has 57,000 Instagram followers, filmed himself kayaking down a river in Italy less than 48 hours before vanishing.
Cops and specialist search teams have now been on the hunt for Bren since he went missing around 2.45pm on Thursday.
Italian police are also said to have been helping the search efforts.
The Brit, who achieved a world record in 2018 by kayaking down a 128-foot-high waterfall in Mexico, was reportedly dragged down into the water by recirculating waves.
Cops said he was sucked out of his kayak and hasn’t been found since.
Bren’s disappearance was announced by Pyranha, who makes the Brit’s high-performance kayaks.
The company wrote: “‘It is with a heavy heart that we announce an accident involving Bren Orton.
“While kayaking with a group on the Melezza River in Switzerland, Bren became trapped in a recirculating feature and did not resurface.
“Authorities and friends are tirelessly continuing their search efforts, and at this time, Bren is considered missing.”
Bren’s family and pals fear he has died but cops haven’t confirmed anything yet.
A spokesman 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 rose to prominence as a kayaker after his impressive world record in 2018 when he completed the daring descent of Big Banana Falls in Mexico.
Amazing footage shows the kayaker in the last anxious minutes before the swift descent into the waterfall.
At the start of the video, Orton is seen giving his friends high fives and receiving well wishes.
The clip showed the breathtaking scene as he rowed off the edge and into the river, falling through the air and onto the waterfall, surrounded by a raging torrent of water.
In an attempt to locate him, his support team paddled as quickly as they could to him.
However, he emerged from the water shortly after his jump, to the cheers of his relieved teammates.
Before turning to kayaking as a profession, Bren worked as a grave digger.
Bren previously 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.”
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