The body of a 64-year-old Saanich man who went missing Nov. 23 has been located.
Family of Christian Dube confirmed the man's body was found on Saturday (Nov. 30).
"Chris was found deceased late yesterday. He was missing for 7 days after walking out of his dementia ward on Saturday, Nov. 23, through 2 locked doors, past the front reception and out the front door.... in his slippers!" read a family Facebook post.
"The family is asking for privacy while they navigate the sadness and shock that goes with this. Thank you to all, for your prayers, encouragement and help. RIP Chris. You are loved by many and will be missed immensely."
Dube, who suffers from dementia, was reported missing after he left Veterans Memorial Lodge, a secure care home on Chatterton Way in Saanich. Crews soon began looking for him on PKOLS, following up on reports of him being seen there on Nov. 23 and 26.
Saturday's discovery follows intense search efforts to locate the Saanich man.
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In the initial days after Dube was reported missing, search teams scoured the area near PKOLS and the Saanich Police Department asked nearby homeowners to check security camera footage in an effort to locate the man.
Just before 8 a.m. on Nov. 27, wearing bright-red waterproof jackets, 12 Metchosin Search and Rescue members gathered outside of a souped-up mobile command truck on the east side of PKOLS (Mount Douglas), where Linda Hillard, the outfit’s leader, delivered instructions about how they would begin the day’s search.
“We’re hitting the main trails really hard again this morning,” said Hillard, after the search team hiked into the forest. “There have been some tentative sightings, so we really want to hit that hard and fast.”
The Metchosin group was tasked with helping the Peninsula Emergency Measures Organization – which is responsible for leading rescue missions in Sidney, North Saanich and Central Saanich – search for the 64-year-old.
Wednesday’s crisp, clear weather benefitted the crews scouring the mountain.
“It makes it a lot easier. We don't have to worry about the wind factor in the forest because that can be dangerous," said Hillard. “Also, no rain or wind makes it easier to hear if someone's calling for help. If you have your hood up and it's noisy, it's obviously going to be very difficult. But these are perfect searching conditions.”
Hillard, who said she has been involved in hundreds of searches for people with dementia, said Dube’s mental health complicated the search.
“We know somebody with dementia may not respond to their name being called,” she said, adding that, despite this, crews searched all areas, even if they don’t receive a reply.
But there are some patterns Hillard has noticed in her work looking for people with memory loss.
“Each person is different with dementia,” she said. “We basically look for them to get tired. Quite often they’ll stop or go for a shelter area – coffee shops, malls, someone’s door. They see a light when they’re out at night, they’re going to go where they feel safe.”
