A Cowichan Valley family desperate for answers after their father went missing more than 10 years ago is hoping for closure after human remains were discovered in the area.
The BC Coroner's Service confirmed Wednesday it was investigating remains recently found near Lake Cowichan, and DNA testing is underway to determine the deceased person's identity.
It's the same area where Derreld Rayner went missing in May 2007, last seen walking his dog on a logging road south of Lake Cowichan.
Search and rescue teams, family and friends spent four days combing over woods and steep hillside for any sign of the 52 year old.
While searchers found his dog and his coffee cup, he was never seen again.
How he went missing is still a mystery to Brent Rayner, who occasionally returns to the search site to remember his father.
"He knew the area well, like probably one of the best in the Cowichan here," he said.
But Brent and his brother say the recent discovery of remains could be a crucial step toward being able to move on.
"It's been almost 11 years. We want closure and we want healing for the family and the community," said Rick Rayner.
The family has been told it will take two weeks to a month before the DNA results come back.
“We don’t know if it’s him, we wish it could be, because it’s still a wide open wound for all of us,” he said.
The family says it is requesting privacy while the Coroner's investigation is underway.
