Search called off for missing West Kelowna senior

WEST KELOWNA – The search has been called off for a 72-year-old West Kelowna man who went missing during a walk over a week ago.

Lawrence Hamilton left his care home around 2 p.m. March 25 wearing a dark blue jacket, jeans, a green golf shirt, a scarf, black gloves and beige shoes.

His family said he regularly walked up to 70 km a day, but it was unusual for him to be gone overnight.

Central Okanagan Search and Rescue volunteers and staff spent close to a week scouring West Kelowna but a media release says the search has been unsuccessful.

“Search and rescue teams from Penticton, Kamloops, Nicola Valley, Oliver/Osoyoos, Shuswap and Vernon joined Central Okanagan Search and Rescue to scour 68-square kilometres of West Kelowna and the surrounding area,” the release says. “Search dogs, bikes, ATVs, trucks and ground crews covered a total of 1,660 kilometers on road and trail over the past week."

Teams also used helicopters and drones and a six-person swift water team spent eight hours investigating creeks and the lakeshore. 

“An average of 41 searchers per day volunteered nearly 1,400 hours over five days without finding any sign of the missing man,” the release says. “Anyone with information is urged to call RCMP as the search can be reactivated if any more information becomes available.”

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