Search and Rescue volunteers on mid-Vancouver Island are gearing up for what could turn into a major effort to locate a missing 50-year-old man in Strathcona Park.
According to the Comox Valley Ground Search and Rescue, Murray Naswell, of Cumberland, was attempting to summit Mount Albert Edward in the park on Wednesday, but failed to return back to his campsite that night.
A couple who he was travelling with notified a park ranger and preliminary search plans were made.
"We did send a team into Mount Albert Edward and check the cairn on the top of the mountain because we had a report that some ID had been located there. We did find some documents belonging to Murray," said search team leader Paul Berry.
Berry said there are some concerns about Naswell's frame-of-mind at the time of his hike. He said searchers did talk with others who had spotted Naswell, but are looking for anyone else they may not yet have talked with.
"Anyone else who may have run into Murray in their travels in the park either Wednesday or Thursday or Friday or since then, RCMP would love to hear from them," Berry said.
Bad weather has hampered efforts so far and teams are hoping to fly in search members once the weather breaks.
If Naswell is not located by Monday the search will be greatly expanded, with volunteers coming from other island and Lower Mainland search teams. That is the only day expected to be clear enough for searching.
