Family's luggage stranded in back room at Vancouver airport for almost 5 days

A family visiting from Chicago says their missing bag was buried under a pile of luggage at Vancouver International Airport for almost five days, and no one seemed to be able to retrieve it.

They knew it was in the airport because an Apple AirTag – a device that allows people to track their goods – revealed its location.

Using an app on his mobile phone, Doug Wysocki showed CTV News where it was: Near the U.S. departures check-in counters.

“It’s just two walls through,” he said. “If you could walk through the wall, it’s just two or three walls there.”

Wysocki and his daughter are still in B.C., but his wife had to go home.

On Friday, she boarded a United Airlines flight to Chicago.

When she got to O’Hare International Airport, her bag wasn't there. Her husband has been trying to retrieve it ever since.

On Friday, he went to YVR and gave a United Airlines employee his phone to help track the missing bag down.

The attendant returned 45 minutes later and told Wysocki that he couldn’t find it, because it was in a back room crammed with luggage.

“He described it as so many bags in the back that he had to climb over bags just to see,” Wysocki recounted. “There were bags stacked on top of bags, so he couldn’t even see the bottom of the pile.”

YVR confirmed it provides the baggage machines, but the airlines are responsible for the luggage.

“We are aware of this passenger’s situation and understand how frustrating it must be for them to be without their bag,” reads a statement from the airport.

“We understand United and its baggage handling partner are actively processing checked luggage at YVR and this effort is delayed due to weather-related disruptions within the airline’s network this past last weekend.”

Late Tuesday, After CTV News contacted United Airlines, the airport confirmed the bag had been found and placed on a flight to Chicago.