UPDATE: Jan Stelmaszyk has posted to Instagram saying him and his son are not missing.
A 35-year-old man and his three-year-old son on a camping trip are the focus of a search by Port Alberni RCMP.
Police say the family of Jan Stelmaszyk and his son, Matt Bartnik, contacted RCMP Tuesday morning. The family has not received any communication in the last four days and they are concerned for their safety and wellbeing.
Jan and Matt are believed to be camping somewhere on Vancouver Island and had kept family members updated of their travels through social media posts on Instagram.
Port Alberni RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Amelia Hayden said Stelmaszyk does not have cellphone communication and only connects to WiFi when he can find it. He primarily posts to Instagram and his last post was five days ago. His last few posts have all been from around the Victoria area.
Hayden said Jan and Matt could be in an area without WiFi and they have no reason to believe Matt is any imminent danger. However, police would like to do a well-being check.
RCMP are calling for the public’s help to locate them.
Stelmaszyk is described by police as a white man standing 6’2″ tall and weighs 155 pounds.
He has brown eyes and black hair with a full beard and mustache.
Matt Bartnik is described by police as a white boy with a thin build and light brown hair that is collar length and has grey eyes.
The pair is known to camp parks around Vancouver Island and Stelmaszyk drives a white 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe with B.C. plates CL9 65H.
Anyone who may have information on Stelmaszyk and his son’s whereabouts is asked to contact Port Alberni RCMP at 250-723-2424 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Port Alberni RCMP is asking for help locating 35-year-old Jan Stelmaszyk and his three-year-old son Matt Bartnik. Jan and his son are believed to be camping in parks across Vancouver Island, but the family has not been contacted in the last four days.
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