VICTORIA -- Mounties on Vancouver Island have recovered the kayak they believe belongs to a man who went missing from Sooke on the weekend.
Timothy Ross, 38, of Langford, launched his kayak from Ella Beach shortly after noon on Sunday. When he failed to return home by 4 p.m. as expected, the Sooke RCMP and a pair of local search and rescue groups launched an extensive manhunt.
Witnesses told police they had seen a solo kayaker heading west toward Port Renfrew on Sunday evening, with the last sighting reported near Shirley, B.C.
Searchers combed the waters of the Juan de Fuca Strait by sea and air Monday and ground searches continued along the stretch of coast between Sooke and Port Renfrew on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the RCMP released a photo of Ross and the blue and purple Jackson Adventure river kayak he was last seen with.
On Wednesday afternoon, Sooke RCMP recovered what they believe to be his kayak.
Video of the recovery provided to CTV News shows RCMP officers taking possession of the kayak on the docks at the Sooke Harbour Resort and Marina before loading it into the back of an RCMP truck.
Wild weather has hampered search efforts as heavy rains and high winds have battered the southwest coast since Ross disappeared.
The Royal Canadian Air Force and United States Coast Guard assisted with the search Monday but ended their participation that evening.
Ross is described as an experienced outdoorsman and was last seen wearing a black wetsuit with a maroon striped wool toque. He is a white man standing 5' 8" tall, weighing approximately 170 pounds, with blue eyes and blond hair.
Juan de Fuca Search and Rescue senior manager Vickie Weber said the search for Ross was ongoing Wednesday evening.
Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact Sooke RCMP at 250-642-5241.
