The search for a 22-year-old woman who had been missing in the Nicola Valley for a week has ended in tragedy.

In a statement Sunday, police say the body of Jacqueline McDermott was found on Saturday, Oct. 8.

“Although a full determination has yet to be made, RCMP do not believe that criminality was involved in the woman’s sudden death,” Sgt. Chris Manseau said.

In a statement on facebook, Katharine Kitsemetry, a friend of the McDermott family, also confirmed that Jaqui’s body was found “after exhaustive searches by the B.C. Search and Rescue teams.”

“Thank you for the outpouring of support we have received in our search for Jaqui,” she said.

“Our hearts are forever shattered. Please respect our privacy as we learn how to live in a world without her. Please keep her in your hearts.”

McDermott, who was from the Kitchener-Waterloo area in Ontario, was reported missing by her family last Saturday, Oct. 1.

The 22-year-old was last seen on Friday, Sept. 30, after leaving a yoga retreat near Merritt.

Her van was found broken down on Highway 97C between Merritt and Logan Lake, with RCMP saying witnesses reported that they saw Jacqueline around the vehicle at that time.

“Every time you close your eyes, you go down a rabbit hole that you don’t want to go down,” Jaqui’s mother, Nathalie, said, in an update on GoFundMe that was raising money to support the family.

“[She] basically disappeared without a trace. It’s unbelievable. It’s crazy.”

Manseau says the BC Coroners Service has also launched a concurrent fact-finding investigation into McDermott’s death.