The brush is so thick, it’s hard to even see the searchers as they crunch through steep terrain and call out to each other any time they make a discovery.
They’re the friends and family of 46-year-old Raymona Peter and they are determined to comb through every inch of the woods surrounding Beecher Bay to find her.
“We’re all emotionally charged looking for her, every sighting whether it’s one per cent or 100 per cent, seems like it’s 100 per cent so we get optimistic real fast,” said Scia’new First Nation Chief Russ Chipps.
Raymona Peter was last seen one week ago walking west from the Scia’new First Nation in the Beecher Bay area of East Sooke. Her dad Rick Peter was one of the last to see her at his home around 10:30 a.m. Sept. 30.
While Raymona has been struggling with addiction, Rick says she was in high spirits because she was set to go to rehab.
“She knew she needed that help and she talked about that help and how she wanted to clean herself up,” he said.
“She wanted to go and clean herself so that, in our cultural way, she could earn back that respect of those that she hurt.”
Rick says his daughter had recently been for a cultural walk through the thick woods behind his home and had lost her phone, something she wanted to find before going to treatment. And so that’s where the search for her started out.
In the three days after she was reported missing a massive search was carried out involving Juan de Fuca Search and Rescue, Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue, the RCMP, dog teams and a helicopter.
READ MORE: Police continue search for missing woman in Beecher Bay area
But that search was called off Saturday, Oct. 3after the RCMP started receiving possible sightings of Raymona in downtown Victoria. So far none of those reported sightings have been confirmed and RCMP are still going through surveillance video trying to determine if Raymona is in fact downtown.
“I know she wouldn’t allow her family to sit here like this willingly knowing they’re all here waiting for her. I know she would have reached out if she could,” said Chipps.
But Raymona’s family and her entire community hope that she is simply hiding out. But as each day goes by they’re growing more desperate to hear her voice.
“Let anyone of us know that you are okay, I’m still here dad, I’m still here uncle, cousin, and that in itself is like winning the lottery,” her father said.
“Let us know that you’re okay, you know, give us a phone call, so I can hear your voice,” he said.
The community plans to continue scouring the woods until they get word Raymona has been found.
Other friends and family members have been plastering missing posters in downtown Victoria and elsewhere on Vancouver Island and Vancouver. They have also been going through tent encampments looking for any sign of her.
Anyone who thinks they see Raymona Peter is urged to try to take a picture to confirm it and to call Sooke RCMP 250-642-5241.
She was last seen wearing a blue and white checkered shirt with a black tank top underneath, black tights, and black runners with white designs.
April Lawrence
