A Metro Vancouver family is begging for help after their dog fell into a fast-moving creek and was swept away by the current.

Pilot, a 100-pound yellow Labrador retriever, was hiking with his owner and her brother on the Lower Falls Trail at Golden Ears Provincial Park on Sunday afternoon.

As the group walked down the trail toward the lake, Pilot slipped and fell into Gold Creek, his owner Dione Dolan said.

"Our dogs decided to venture down the hill and go down toward the water... Within a split second, our lab was swept away by the water," she told CTV Vancouver through tears.

"We're really trying to remain hopeful."

She said her and her brother searched for signs of Pilot, but found nothing. They returned the next day, but still couldn't find a sign of their beloved pet.

"We don't know how far he could have been washed."

Pilot is a strong swimmer and very friendly, and she said she believes if he was able to get out, he would gravitate toward people.

If the dog is wandering around, he may have walked as far as Pitt Meadows, Dolan estimated.

"It's such a big area... but I can only imagine the more eyes looking for him, spotting him, any kind of sightings even would give us some hope that he survived," she said.

Dolan said her family is heartbroken over the loss, and "have to believe" that he is still alive somewhere.

"He's a family member of course. I'm a single parent, so he's our security as well. Right now I feel like my right arm's missing," she said.

"We just want to know that he's not out there injured, suffering and needing help."

The family is asking anyone who sees a dog matching Pilot's description to report the details to Dolan. Pilot has pale, almost white fur and a square-shaped face, and was wearing a blue collar with no tags.

They've taken to social media to share photos of the missing pup, and a Facebook page dedicated to the search has been set up as a way to gather tips.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the post had been shared more than 4,500 times.

Although Dolan said the family had yet to receive any viable leads, she wrote that they are thankful for the support of the online community.

"People that we don't even know are texting us, giving us encouragement, letting us know they've already been out there looking," she said.

Her brother is also looking for someone with a drone who might be willing to help search the large area, which is difficult to navigate by foot. Dolan said her family would be grateful if someone with a kayak was willing to search for the dog, or his body, from the water, though she said she knows it's asking a lot.

But she added that anyone planning to help, especially near the water, should check with a park ranger first to be sure that it's safe. She also wanted to warn others thinking of hiking the trail or letting their dogs loose in the area to be careful near the quick-moving river.

"It's really high water right now, and it's really dangerous," she said.