VANCOUVER -- The desperate search for a missing man in Burnaby concluded Sunday morning after he was found dead, according to the city’s RCMP.
Thomas Tremblay, a 68-year-old Vancouver resident who had a brain injury, went missing on Friday night when he went for a walk in South Burnaby and didn’t return home. Search crews were first activated on Saturday, but were put on hold overnight, before resuming again Sunday morning.
On Sunday, RCMP reported that the search had ended in tragedy when he was found dead. His family members have been notified.
"This is not the outcome we were hoping for," said Burnaby RCMP Cpl. Brett Cunningham in a news release. "We take this moment to remind ourselves how we must continue to protect and look out for our community's most vulnerable. Thank you to all those who contributed in the search and shared his photograph."
Police said Tremblay was found "in a very remote location" in Byrne Creek Ravine Park. They offered their condolences to the man's family and their thanks to two concerned Burnaby residents - Luna and Greg Hennessey - who joined in the search and ultimately led officers to the missing man's body.
The investigation so far suggests that Tremblay succumbed to cold weather, police said.
Earlier in the day, before he was found, RCMP had taken to Twitter asking for more help.
“A team of … officers are out this morning, canvassing neighbourhoods and continuing the search for missing person, Thomas Tremblay,” reads a tweet posted Sunday morning by Burnaby RCMP. “If you’re out and about, please keep an eye open and call 911 if you see anything that may help us find him.”
Vancouver police said Tremblay left his home near Fraser Street and East 53rd Avenue around 12:30 p.m. Friday. He told his caregiver he was heading out for a walk, but he failed to return by dinner time, police said.
The search for Tremblay had been paused Saturday night due to poor visibility, despite the fact that police believed they were in "a race against time.”
“Snow and visibility have paused our search for Thomas Tremblay. We have no new information as to his whereabouts,” reported Burnaby RCMP on Twitter on Saturday night.
Tremblay had been missing for more than 24 hours during a snowstorm and freezing temperatures. Coquitlam Search and Rescue and North Shore Rescue helped in the search efforts.