In an update Monday, Feb. 19, RCMP say Owen Weld has been found “safe and sound.”
READ MORE: ‘I’m alive, Mom, I love you’: Cowichan mom overwhelmed with joy after missing son found safe
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A search and rescue team on Vancouver Island says despite efforts Saturday, a 19-year-old man reported missing a few days prior hasn’t been found.
Owen Weld, 19, was last seen Wednesday, Feb. 14, in Lake Cowichan, and Cowichan Search and Rescue (SAR) says its crew, with help from mutual aid SAR groups, is continuing efforts Sunday to find him.
In an update on Facebook late Saturday, Cowichan SAR said two aircraft and road teams “covered an enormous amount of gravel on the logging roads in Lake Cowichan and beyond,” adding that on Sunday, “SAR will continue with assistance of mutual aid SAR groups to complete tasks that were not done by dark.”
SAR said Weld was last seen at the A&W in Lake Cowichan around 4:17 p.m. on Valentine’s Day, and thanked the public for helping search for him Saturday.
“Amazing work by members of the public who helped rule out many kilometres,” the search and rescue group said in the social media post.
Search updates are also being shared on the Facebook page Find Owen Weld, where organizers say about 90 volunteers came out to Laketown Ranch.
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Lake Cowichan RCMP, in a news release Friday, said they were “very concerned” for Weld, who was believed to be driving a black 1997 Toyota Rav4 with B.C. license plate TR728D.
Cowichan SAR later posted a photo of the Rav4 to Facebook, and it’s noted on the Find Owen page that the vehicle is missing its gas cover door.
The SAR group subsequently said the weekend search would include air, door-to-door and road searches, with crews watching for the Rav4.
“At this time, we are not requesting convergent volunteers but understand that many are already out searching,” SAR said Saturday. “We will assist in coordinating that effort so that work is not duplicated unnecessarily and all is documented. Your downloaded track files can be sent to [email protected].”
Mounties on Friday asked the public to keep an eye out for Weld and the Rav4.
They described the missing man as Caucasian and standing 5’10” with a heavy build, short brown hair and blue eyes, and shared his photo.
“We are very concerned for Owen…” added Cst. Brett Urano, BC RCMP media relations officer, in the release Friday.
Anyone with information as to Weld’s whereabouts is urged to call the Lake Cowichan RCMP at 250-749-6668 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
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Ethan Morneau
