The Mayor of Kamloops says the city is mourning the death of Kamloops Fire and Rescue Captain Brian Lannon.

Speaking on NL Newsday, Ken Christian says he was told about the 53-year-old’s passing on Saturday night.

“There are really two levels of loss here. Obviously, for his immediate family but also for his KFR family. You know that is truly a family when you serve with the KFR,” Christian said. “His loss is going to be felt not just at Hall 7 but throughout the department, and throughout the city of Kamloops.”

Police in Kelowna say Brian Lannon did not resurface after he was separated from the rest of his group while scuba diving in Okanagan Lake this past weekend. An RCMP statement released on Sunday noted the search had turned into a recovery effort.

“We just want to find him so [we can have] closure for everyone and maybe that will give some clues as to what happened but we’re all just trying to wrap our heads around the idea that he’s gone,” Kamloops Fire and Rescue’s Jamie Chase told NL News.

Chase is currently KFR’s Fire and Life Safety Educator, but he was a member of Lannon’s crew in the past.

“The Fire Chief had a note to city staff yesterday and there’s generally a pall over our operations as a result because of the fact Brian gave up a lot of in terms of service to the citizens of Kamloops,” Christian added.

The Mayor also told NL News that the city also feels for the Lannon family during a difficult period of time for them.