Friends of 40 year-old Justin Stanley Smith spent another day searching for him on Wednesday.
The Courtenay man hasn’t been heard from in a week.
“We know that somebody talked to him at 1:30 on Wednesday (June 1) and then his phone was turned off and his phone hasn’t been turned on since,” his friend Chris Schneider told CHEK News.
A signal from that phone pinged off a tower on Mount Washington and it’s where an RCMP helicopter focused a search earlier this week and where friends returned today.
“This is where we suspect the vehicle was last seen. We’re just looking for evidence if he was here or not,” added Schneider.
A truck similar to the one Smith is believed to be driving was spotted on a secluded dead-end gravel road Friday by a hiker in the area but by the time friends got there the truck was gone.
They believe Smith, whose friends refer to as Jay, could be constantly on the move.
The vehicle is a black 1992 Toyota Hilux, which is a foreign model of a Toyota 4Runner. It has a BC Licence plate: HB 132W and the steering wheel is on the right side.
The truck belongs to Justin’s friend Legion Brooks who had lent it to him while she was out of the country, but he was supposed to pick her up at the ferry on June 3.
“So we were texting and video chatting the whole time I was gone and there seemed to be no problem and I told him my plans had changed and I was coming home. He gave me thumbs up when I asked him to pick me up and nothing, nothing, nothing,” Brooks said.
“I got home June 3rd and I was like where is Jay with my vehicle and then it was like where is Jay because all of my stuff is in there, there’s no way he would take off with all my stuff.”
They say Smith is very familiar with the back country and the logging roads anywhere from Nanaimo to Port Hardy.
“If you’re going to come out and help us look, dead-end roads, lakes and waterfalls, go there,” said his friend Alex Gibson. “If you know the roads, if you’re out in the valley, you’re on a quad or a side by side or if you’ve got your car, even if you’re out with your family on the weekend, look for that truck and Jay, please.”
They say they’re worried about Smith’s mental health but add if you seem him he is completely safe to approach. They ask that you stay with him and call for help if possible.
“We are still gathering information and speaking with witnesses regarding Justin’s potential whereabouts. We know that he is an outdoorsman and has extensive knowledge and a love for the backcountry here in the Comox Valley” said Const. Monika Terragni, media relations officer with Comox Valley RCMP.
Smith is approximately 6’2, with an average build and brown hair. He has blue eyes and he was last known to be wearing a dark work jacket with black Carhartt pants.
If you see Justin Smith, or know where he is, call the Comox Valley RCMP at (250) 338-1321.
If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Comox Valley Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at comoxvalleycrimestoppers.bc.ca.
Dean Stoltz
