Hundreds of volunteers join search for missing teenager in Squamish, B.C.
More than 800 people showed up to help search for a missing teenager in Squamish on Friday, but their efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.
Fifteen-year-old Richie Stelmack was last seen going to bed Tuesday night at his home in Garibaldi Highlands. He hasn't been seen since, and officials say they still have no clues as to why he left home, or where he might be.
Volunteers slowly and carefully combed through the neighbourhood, searching in sheds, bushes and even garbage bins, looking for places where Stelmack might have taken shelter.
"We’re very concerned for Richie’s well-being," said BJ Chute, a search manager for Squamish Search and Rescue.
"We’re very concerned for his safety. He has been outside for a couple of days now. We believe he’s not dressed for the weather."
The teen was last seen wearing brown plaid pyjama pants and a red long-sleeve shirt with "RVCA" on the front. He left his phone, computer and backpack behind, and crews believe he's barefoot.
Officials say they've interviewed everyone who knows Richie, including family, friends, teachers and even his doctor. They're also reviewing hundreds of videos from home security cameras, searching for clues about which way he may have gone.
"We have a lot of negative clues," said Mike Teske, also a search manager for Squamish SAR.
"We have a lot of places we know he didn’t go, but we have no positive clues."
The next step, Teske said, is to search creeks and canyons. Specialized teams will take over that aspect of the search on Saturday.
"It’s very technical terrain, so it will require rope access," Teske said. "We have five major rivers that go through Squamish, so we have a fairly large number of areas to search."
He said crews have kept in constant contact with Stelmack's family throughout the search, and described the family as "overwhelmed" by the situation and the support they've received from the community.
For Stelmack himself, Teske had a simple message:
"We just ask him to come home," he said. "He’s not in trouble. We would all be very, very happy to see him."
With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Alissa Thibault
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.