Teams from across Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland continued Thursday to search for a 38-year-old man last seen in the Lake Cowichan area on June 30.
“We are trying our best and bringing in teams from all across the Island and the mainland and we’re not going to give up,” said Jamie Tudway-Cains, president and search manager for Cowichan Search and Rescue.
“We will keep going until we find him.”
Nicholas Marion hasn’t been seen since he left a residence at 11439 Youbou Rd. at 6:30 a.m. on June 30, according to Lake Cowichan RCMP.
Wife Dory Marion said the two were visiting friends in the Youbou area on the long weekend when her husband left to go for walk. “I’m in agony right now,” she said Thursday.
Cowichan Search and Rescue set up an operations base at Pine Point Campground, which is across from the home where the couple was staying with friends.
Dogs are assisting in the ground search, while other searchers are scanning the region by air.
About 40 searchers continued Thursday to work in a circular pattern, fanning out from the point where Nicholas Marion was last seen “until we hopefully get some information as to a direction of travel,” Tudway-Cains said.
The mapping pattern for the search area, which includes roads, trails and residences, looks like an expanding spider web, said Tudway-Cains, who asked area residents to scour their security video for possible clues.
This week’s good weather has allowed searchers to continue their work from about 8 a.m. to nightfall each day, while other SAR volunteers work overnight to plan out the next day’s search.
The RCMP determines how long the search continues and can call off the SAR team at any time.
“We will keep going as long as there is reason to keep going,” said Tudway-Cairns.
Dory Marion said family, friends from the region and from out of town, area residents and others have joined her in searching for her husband.
She encouraged people to go for a hike in the area, saying: “We just need more people out there.”
She asked those with property in the area to walk their land and search their outbuildings, “go off their regular path, look under things.”
Tudway-Cains asked anyone who is searching to email their tracks and GPS locations to at [email protected], so others know where they have searched.
Tudway-Cains said although SAR was not asking for volunteers, “we are asking the public to keep their eyes open and to contact the RCMP with any information.”
Dory Marion said she has no idea if her husband is lost, despondent, sick or injured.
“It’s Day 5 — if my instincts were right, he’d be here with me right now.”
She is asking the public to direct all tips and offers of assistance to the Lake Cowichan RCMP and Cowichan SAR.
Nicholas Marion is described as six feet tall, 174 pounds with black hair, brown eyes and a short beard.
He was last seen wearing a black T-shirt, black jogging pants and black retro Nike Air Jordan 11 sneakers.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact Lake Cowichan RCMP at 250-749-6668.
