bubbalouie - Posted - 12/17/2022:  13:09:00

All this past week we've had helicopters & search & rescue crews all over this area. A young lady has been missing since last week. The trail is an easy walking trail with lots of rough offshoot trails into difficult terrain.

We have seen bears in our area lately & there's cougar warning signs further up the trail. Terry just came home from her walk with our neighbour lady & said there were at least a hundred searchers out.

We're all hoping this is a rescue & not a recovery mission. It's an all around sad situation. 

vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/sea...1.6196869

mike gregory - Posted - 12/17/2022:  13:28:32

One may always hope for the best.

5B-Ranch - Posted - 12/17/2022:  14:17:13

Few questions Bob

1: was she hiking by herself?

2: have there been any reports of other missing hikers in the past?

3: is this a national Forest for Canada?

Why I ask if anyone is interested in this I would like to refer you are anyone else to research a guy named David Paulides. Or Canam project.

canammissing.com/page/page/8396197.htm

Edited by - 5B-Ranch on 12/17/2022 14:20:07

bubbalouie - Posted - 12/17/2022:  15:02:56

Yes she was hiking alone & there have been lost hikers in the past. We lost 3 young guys a few years ago when their truck was washed down the river.

The potholes mentioned in the article is a Provincial Park. They're formed by a glacier & are a series waterfalls with high cliffs with swimming holes at the bottom.

On the summer weekends wanabe rock climbers run into trouble on the cliffs & we hear the heavy rescue trucks heading up there.

I'm worried the trail is pretty cold now for the dogs up there. 

5B-Ranch - Posted - 12/17/2022:  15:08:13

Hopefully she will be found soon real soon. I still would like folks to check out The CanAm project. David Paulides has done intensive research on missing people especially those that go missing in National Forest. I find his articles to be somewhat disturbing.

bubbalouie - Posted - 12/17/2022:  16:46:13

Thanks 5B. With the extent of this search I wouldn't be surprised to hear they are aware of that CanAm database.

Wet Spaniel - Posted - 12/18/2022:  01:52:53

That’s a worrying amount of time to be out and about.

Bob, they’ll most likely be using both trailing dogs (following a specific scent trail) and sir scenting dogs (picking up non specific human scents in an area with no or few other people in it) so they’ll have both options covered.

It sounds like your rescue teams know the ground and will be coordinating a very thorough search - I hope there is a positive outcome, or at least closure for her parents if it isn’t.

bubbalouie - Posted - 12/18/2022:  07:09:15

Yeah Jonty they are from North Carolina. It would be a shame to lose your daughter in the wilds of Canada.

They say she was an experienced hiker in the area but she is pretty small & has a few other issues.

I live on the only road in or out of the area & I have followed a car with Carolina plates before.

Buddur - Posted - 12/20/2022:  05:39:14

Sad but this swill probably turn into a recovery effort.

From the photograph, she appears to only be prepared for a short hike and not for a hand full of nights in snowy conditions. I hope I'm wrong.

Wet Spaniel - Posted - 12/20/2022:  06:04:44

quote:

---

Originally posted by 5B-Ranch

Hopefully she will be found soon real soon. I still would like folks to check out The CanAm project. David Paulides has done intensive research on missing people especially those that go missing in National Forest. I find his articles to be somewhat disturbing.

---

I've not read any of his stuff, but if the SAR setup is anything like the UK, there has been an extensive amount of research into search techniques and methodology depending on both the terrain and the circumstances of the individual who has gone missing.   Along with the immediate hasty searches, a profile of the misper is   made and specific areas will be targeted as a result.  For example, if it's a child under 5, they are drawn to bodies of open water, or an elderly person with Alzheimer's tend to stick around borders where terrain/topology changes such as where open fields meet a forest edge .  It's genuinely interesting stuff.

bubbalouie - Posted - 12/20/2022:  06:05:36

Yes Tom. I'm afraid the search has been called off. We just got a big dump of snow (for here ) last night.

A creepy twist to this story is on Sunday the last day of the search is that as my wife & walking partner were just about home they noticed a big grubby guy looking into her friends backyard. No doubt flushed out by the searchers,

She asked him if he lived around here. He said he lives in the forest. There has been a guy in last weeks paper that went mysteriously missing months ago. She called Crime stoppers & reported it. I hate to think it might be something like that rather than just lost & succumbed to the elements.

Edited by - bubbalouie on 12/20/2022 06:21:09

Wet Spaniel - Posted - 12/28/2022:  22:11:35

bubbalouie hey Bob, has there been any movement/news on the girl? I’ve not seen any new news here - was just wondering if there was anything happening locally? It really must be agonising former or parents.

bubbalouie - Posted - 12/29/2022:  06:35:05

Hi Jonty. Sadly they called the search off. I saw where there was 1700 searchers. We had our major snow event on the day after the last day of the search. The snow has since melted.

My wife & her friend just went up the road to a reservoir up there yesterday, They said it was a rugged uphill slog. They were both afraid to go anywhere near the river or spillway the water is rushing so hard. The road was where the lady was last seen on camera walking with her hiking poles, They both determined it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack up there. There are lots of small trails leading off the main one too.

The area we call the Pot Holes is closed to the public now due to the heavy flow. With the amount of tourists in the area in the summer we hope at least something will turn up for some closure for her family in North Carolina.

Edited by - bubbalouie on 12/29/2022 06:37:04

Wet Spaniel - Posted - 12/29/2022:  07:07:30

Thanks Bob, after such a concentrated search effort, I figure you are right, someone will probably sadly stumble upon her remains at some point.

5B-Ranch - Posted - 12/29/2022:  09:15:41

So Sad to hear no results from the search. I’m keeping and eye out on David Paulides channel for any follow up reports. He may be unorthodox in some of his beliefs but he does do some good follow ups.

okbluegrassbanjopicker - Posted - 12/30/2022:  14:20:34

So sad.

I'm certain that everyone wished so badly that they could help as much as possible, but conditions were just too dangerous to continue on.

 Prayers for the family of the young lady. It must be absolutely heartrending to find out that your daughter went out one day, but the way she is "returning" is the last thing you thought would happen.

 There will be bittersweet memories discussed over a cold cup of long-since-poured coffee.

 A tragedy that need not have happened. 

Edited by - okbluegrassbanjopicker on 12/30/2022 14:30:08

bubbalouie - Posted - 12/30/2022:  14:38:05

It is Luke. It's such a beautiful area that people don't realize how dangerous it can be. You can get into really deep woods with rugged terrain an easy walk from here.

My wife & her friend walk on the main trail every day. I wouldn't want either of them to go alone. Her friend has a really feisty dog that goes with them. I talked to a guy that runs cougar hunting dogs on the trail right behind us. He said his dogs have scented them right here! When there's cougars in town they call him to tree them until the conservation officers get there. There's no shortage of bears either. 

I have 2 full size cans of bear spray but I'm afraid to send them with one in case it turns into more trouble than help! That & it's not too portable the size of a spray paint can!

We still hope somebody finds something. 

bubbalouie - Posted - 12/30/2022:  14:41:33

Here's one that was grazing in the septic field across the road here,