Faye Hanson, 73, was last seen on Oct. 22. (Nanaimo RCMP)
Mounties and rescue crews are searching for a missing mushroom picker who was last seen on Sunday.
A friend told Nanaimo RCMP on Monday that Faye Hanson, 73, left home at approximately 12 p.m. on Oct. 22 driving a blue 2014 Silverado. Hanson’s vehicle was found at 10:30 a.m. Monday near the intersection of Timberlands Road and Ninatti Road.
She was reported missing when she didn’t arrive for work on Monday morning.
RCMP officers from Ladysmith, along with local search and rescue crews, an RCMP helicopter and police dog services are searching a remote area approximately five kilometres west of the Nanaimo airport. Due to where Hanson’s vehicle was found, Ladysmith RCMP have taken over jurisdiction of the search.
“Our tracking team came across signs that pointed to this lady’s direction of travel,” said Shauneen Nichols of Ladysmith Search and Rescue on Monday evening.
“We have teams going back into that search area.”
Police said there is no clothing description available but the picture of Hanson that has been provided is recent.
Hanson is from Nanaimo. According to police, Hanson often takes her camera with her when she is mushroom picking. She carries the camera in a red Molson Canadian cooler bag.
Hanson has no known medical conditions but she is not believed to be dressed for an extended stay in the wilderness. Anyone who sees Hanson is asked to call 911 immediately.
Alexa Huffman
