VANCOUVER -- More than a week after Ali Naderi's disappearance, crews have made the "difficult decision" to suspend their search for the missing hiker.
Authorities announced the discouraging update on Monday, but said the police investigation into the 52-year-old Coquitlam resident's disappearance would remain open.
RCMP Cpl. Michael McLaughlin said volunteers from Coquitlam Search and Rescue and other organizations have "scoured every nearby trail and checked potential off-trail locations" over the past seven days, but their efforts have been fruitless.
"Given the timeframe that Naderi has been gone, his lack of supplies, and the vast backcountry where he went missing, it doesn't make sense to continue searching and potentially put our SAR teams at risk," McLaughlin said in a news release.
Anyone who has spotted the hiker or knows anything about his whereabouts is still encouraged to contact the Coquitlam RCMP, which said its investigation will stay open "until Naderi is found."
The search was launched last Monday, one day after the avid hiker vanished while out in the area of Eagle Mountain. A neighbour who lives near a trailhead noticed Naderi's car on the street on Sunday night.
On Tuesday, authorities managed to obtain an image of Naderi captured Sunday on a motion-activated trail camera, which allowed crews to refocus their search. Sadly, the lead did not help locate his whereabouts.
Naderi is described as a Persian man with brown eyes and black salt-and-pepper hair that curls over his ears. He's 5'10" tall and weighs 176 lbs.
He was last seen wearing dark-coloured shorts and a dark, light-weight hiking jacket. He was also carrying hiking poles.
