Police, military search and rescue crews looking for missing man, boat off Vancouver Island
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Victoria (JRCC) and the Comox Valley RCMP are searching for a missing 37-year-old man and the rowboat he was reported to have taken.
Mounties said in a statement Friday that they were notified around 7:30 a.m. of an unmanned rowboat floating in the ocean near Royston.
The JRCC was notified and launched crews to check the area, but did not find the boat, police said.
"Later in the morning, a 37-year old man was reported missing from his residence after allegedly taking a rowboat from his property out into the ocean overnight," RCMP said in their statement.
"The JRCC was notified, launched additional crews to the area and a more exhaustive search took place with the Coast Guard Auxiliary and Ground Search and Rescue."
The JRCC told CTV News it was contacted by the RCMP around 11:30 a.m. Friday to help search for a "boat adrift in Baynes Sound, British Columbia."
Baynes Sound is a narrow body of water that separates Vancouver Island from Denman Island, south of Comox.
The JRCC deployed several crews to help with the search, including a CH-149 Cormorant Rescue Helicopter from 19 Wing Comox, an auxiliary Royal Canadian Marine Search & Rescue crew from Station 60 in Comox, and the Canadian Coast Guard ship, the Cape Cockburn.
All of the crews arrived in the area by noon to assist with the search.
"Unfortunately, the man and his boat have not been located," police said in their statement Friday afternoon.
“The efforts to locate the missing man could be narrowed down by locating the rowboat,” said Const. Monika Terragni, in the statement.
"The rowboat is blue, between 14 and 16 feet long, made of fibreglass, and has a square back."
Anyone who has seen a boat matching that description or knows the whereabouts of missing man Christopher Mitchell is asked to contact Comox Valley RCMP immediately and cite file number 2023-3957, police said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
What Canadians think of the latest Liberal budget
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Teacher shortages see some Ontario high school students awarded perfect grades on midterm exams
Students at a high school in York Region have been awarded perfect marks on their midterm exams in three subjects – not because of their academic performances however, but because they had no teacher.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Her fiance has been in prison for 49 years. She's trying to free him before it's too late
Christine Roess is a retired consultant. Ezra Bozeman has spent the last 49 years in prison, serving a life sentence for a murder he says he didn’t commit. Against the odds, the two fell in love.