Missing man's backpack found 2 weeks after his disappearance; dog searching the area

Anmol Jagat is shown in an undated photo provided by the Delta Police Department.

VANCOUVER -

A backpack belonging to a man last seen in October was located two weeks after his disappearance.

Police in Delta, B.C., said the bag was found by an "alert youth" who noticed it in a wooded area and contacted police.

"The youth was aware that police are searching the area (in North Delta) for Anmol Jagat and thought the backpack likely belonged to Anmol," police spokesperson Cris Leykauf said in a statement Tuesday.

The backpack was found Sunday, exactly two weeks from when Jagat, age 21, was last seen. Police searched the area for further signs of Jagat, but by then it was dark.

Officers were back at the site on Monday, and brought a police dog to help on Tuesday.

Members of South Fraser Search and Rescue will also be deployed to the area this week, police said.

For now, they're intentionally not giving further details on where Jagat's backpack was found. Police say this is because search conditions in the area are challenging.

Still, they're hoping for further tips from the public about Jagat's whereabouts.

"We have seen incidents where people have gone missing for days or weeks, before being located," she said, but admitted that "time is of the essence" in this case as the weather is getting colder.

Jagat was last seen in surveillance camera video recorded before 1 a.m. on Oct. 24.

The short clip, released by police last week, showed him walking in the area of 81st Avenue and 112A Street, after leaving home. 

His mother said the family moved to B.C. just three months before Jagat disappeared, and that they don't have other relatives in the area.

She said she was particularly concerned because Jagat left without taking his medication.

"Please come home," she said in a message directed to her son, during an interview with CTV News.

To the community, she said simply, "My son is missing… Help me."

Jagat is described as 6'1" with a medium build. He has long, black hair and wears glasses, police said.

He was last seen wearing black pants, black shoes, a white jacket, green shirt and black toque.

Foul play is not suspected in the case.