The wife of a man missing since June 30 has taken to social media to confirm that the official search for her husband Nicholas Marion has been called off by Cowichan Search and Rescue.
"Nick is still missing and because there have been no new leads, the search has been called off by SAR," Dory LaFrance wrote on her Facebook page on the morning of July 8. "This does not mean, we don’t continue our search. We just have to re-organize and re-strategize which means we need more volunteers than ever."
Marion, 28, left 11439 Youbou Rd., in Youbou for a walk around 6:30 a.m. on June 30. He is not familiar with the area, and had been visiting for the long weekend. He did not have his cell phone, wallet, money, or a jacket with him.
Cowichan Search and Rescue searched in the Youbou area for close to a week with assistance from SAR teams from around the Island totalling roughly three dozen searchers. They found no trace of the missing man.
"I’m scared and desperate to find my sweet beautiful husband. Overwhelmed with the immense amount of support from the RCMP, SAR teams from all over and the friends and family and strangers who worked so hard to cover such a large amount of area to find my husband and bring him home safely," LaFrance wrote.
Despite the official search being concluded, the search for Marion is ongoing with LaFrance and her supporters asking for hikers to keep their eyes peeled during hikes all around the area including areas outside of the initial search area between Pine Point Campground and Maple Grove Campground.
She asked for hikers to go only where they're comfortable, to hike in pairs, and to track their hikes using a GPS tracker like maps.me, "and keep a lookout off trail at least 20 feet especially where you see the disturbance of the bush around the trail."
She also implores searchers to "stay hydrated, dress appropriately, [and] be safe."
With public resources now gone, a family friend has set up a fundraising page to help LaFrance afford specialized search teams including a dog team.
"These services [are] mostly volunteer, however we will need to cover all of the travel and accommodation costs, which is quite high," she explained. "We are pleading with people who may be able to help to donate a small amount of money to make this search possible."
The fundraising page can be found at: https://gofund.me/58764f9a
Marion was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black pants, and black sneakers. He is six feet tall, 174 pounds and has black hair, brown eyes, and a short black beard. He was last spotted on a trail near the Pine Point Campground around 7 p.m. on July 1, according to Cowichan SAR.
"Don’t forget about Nick. Please don’t give up hope that we will find him and he will be healthy and confused but not gone. He is a loving kind husband and friend, he is a gift to this world, and he has so much more to share with us here," LaFrance said. "Let’s find him and bring him home. I refuse to think that he’s lost forever."
