Dog walker discovers missing Vancouver Island pair off Pat Bay

CHEK
WatchA man out walking his dog Saturday in North Saanich made a gruesome discovery. He found missing 36-year-old Easha Rayel and 23-year-old James Evans' bodies and car near the Pat Bay. But how long the pair may have been down the steep ditch remains a mystery. Julian Kolsut reports.

A man taking his dog on a walk made a gruesome discovery Saturday , just off the Patricia Bay Highway.

“I just happened to look over and saw the glint of a vehicle where no vehicle should be… so I walked in, had a look and discovered two bodies in a car that was torn up,” said Rick Davis.

It turned out to be missing 36-year-old Easha Rayel and 23-year-old James Evans from the Sidney/North Saanich area. They were last seen on Aug. 9.

The highway northbound near Parklands Secondary was closed Saturday evening as crews recovered the car and bodies.

But how long the two were down the steep ditch remains a mystery.

“It looked like it had been there for two, three weeks,” said Davis.

Officials are not yet commenting on how long the pair was there.

“Just due to evidence collected at the scene, we do believe this is James Evans and Eeashe Rayel and we are just waiting for confirmation from the BC Coroners Service,” said Cst. Meighan de Pass of the Sidney/North Saanich RCMP.

“At this time we are unable to speculate how long the vehicle had been there, and that’s where the coroners service investigation will come in to play.”

Police originally said the two could have been travelling in a black BMW, and may have been heading to the mainland.  At one point there was a potential sighting in Vernon — that only now has been deemed false.

The loss has shaken the small community, Evans’ dad Alistair came back to the scene Monday to put a metal cross in the ground.

The spot where the car was found was down a steep ditch off the highway, well out of sight of passerby’s.

“There is quite a bit of overgrowth and forest and trees which prevented anyone from seeing it as they drove past,” said de Pass.

Davis hopes his small part can help the families now grieving.

“My hearts goes out to Alistair’s family, and sorry that I found what I found, but I hope they get some closure out of it.”

A GoFundMe to for a memorial has been started by Evans’ twin brother, and can be found here.

Julian KolsutJulian Kolsut

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