'He has a big heart': Search still on for man missing near Fairy Creek
Activists camped out in the Fairy Creek area of Vancouver Island say a 61-year-old man is still missing nearly two weeks after he was last seen.
On Oct. 22, Lake Cowichan RCMP said they were searching for Gerald Kearny, who was last seen on Oct. 13.
Kearny, who also goes by "Smiley," was last seen at a Fairy Creek protest encampment known as Ridge Camp, said the Rainforest Flying Squad (RFS) in a release Monday.
He had spent six days staying between two different camps in the area, and was last seen leaving Ridge Camp around 10 a.m. on Oct. 13, according to RFS.
He told campers that he was planning on hiking down a trail from Ridge Camp to Heli Camp, where he was expected to retrieve some belongings, including his cellphone and a large hiking pack. He told campers that he was returning home to take care of his cat, who was being looked after by a friend in his absence.
The Rainforest Flying Squad says it's about a two hour hike to get from Ridge Camp to Heli Camp.
"It is considered a difficult hike, but is relatively well marked with flagging tape, with ropes to assist hikers in the steepest areas," said RFS.
The environmental group says Kearny was not seen on the trail or at Heli Camp after he departed.
One person told the RFS that they saw Kearney on the Pacific Marine Highway in the afternoon of Oct. 13, though the group says his belongings were never retrieved.
"For several reasons, it was not realized for days that Kearny was missing," said the RFS, adding that cellphone coverage is usually unavailable in the area.
FATHER OF TWO
Cowichan Search and Rescue was called in and searched the area on Oct. 21, but were unable to find Kearny after two days, according to the Rainforest Flying Squad.
"They searched everywhere they safely could, but much of the mountain is treacherous terrain, especially in wet weather," said the RFS. "Drones were reportedly used to search a larger area."
Kearny is described as a 61-year-old white man who stands 5' 4" tall and weighs roughly 210 pounds. He has shoulder-length grey hair and was last seen wearing a purple sweater with a red hooded sweatshirt overtop. He may have also been wearing a dark raincoat.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Sooke RCMP at 250-749-6668.
The RFS says that Kearny was travelling on foot and that he may have been trying to hitchhike.
"If you drove the Pacific Marine highway since the evening of Wednesday, Oct 13th, please take a moment to recall whether you saw anything unusual," said the group. "Sometimes even the smallest detail can be important."
The RFS says Kearny arrived in Fairy Creek with the leader of the Saskatchewan Green Party, Naomi Hunter.
"He is the happiest, nicest guy," Hunter said in a statement Monday. "He has a big heart, and has always been involved in social justice and environmental movements."
Hunter added that Kearny is a father of two and that he was involved in anti-poverty activism in Ontario before coming to B.C.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.