Rescue crews recovered the body of a kayaker Tuesday, a day after he was swept away in a rain-swollen Capilano River.

In a statement, Mounties said the 48-year-old entered the river at about 3 p.m. on Monday near the Capilano Fish Hatchery. Minutes later, he was separated from his kayak.

Police officers, firefighters, members of North Shore Rescue and the Coast Guard all sprang into action after hearing reports of a kayaker in distress.

A SAR helicopter spotted the kayaker's body under log jam at around sunset.

"Several people identified him floating down the river," said North Vancouver RCMP Cpl. Richard De Jong. "Ultimately, it was someone in the helicopter who saw his body submerged about two feet underneath the water."

Crews, however, were unable to recover the body until about 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday because of the lack of visibility and dangerous waters.

"He was in whitewater about a foot and a half below the water level wrapped around a tree," said search manager Peter Haigh. "It was very difficult for our kayakers to see him even while they were very close to him."

The BC Coroners Service is working to identify the body and to notify the man's next of kin.

"Our condolences go out to the family and friends of this deceased kayaker," De Jong said.

The man was kayaking alone, and officials urge anyone else entering rushing rivers on the North Shore to bring a buddy.

"I understand kayakers like that sort of water, and that's understandable. But he certainly shouldn't have been on his own," said Haigh.

A Coast Guard hovercraft also recovered the man's kayak Monday while combing the Capilano River and the Burrard Inlet.

Officials are warning others to stay away from rivers and riverbanks after a rainstorm dumped 100 millimetres of rain on the North Shore Monday. The ground is still waterlogged and riverbanks could be unstable.

"This incident ended tragically, taking the life of an outdoor enthusiast," De Jong said. "Emergency personnel remind everyone at this time of year to be extremely cautious near and on all raging waters."

With files from CTV Vancouver's Nafeesa Karim