UPDATE: Dirt biker no longer missing

"THE FAMILY IS VERY HAPPY THE WORST DIDN'T HAPPEN"

VERNON – The search for a missing dirt biker in the Vernon area has been called off after the man showed up at home this morning.

“The Vernon RCMP want to let the public know that the missing man on the dirt bike has returned home at about 10:15 this morning,” Vernon RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says in a media release issued April 23.

Kyle Macinnes, 25, went missing Tuesday, April 21. He told his family he was going for a ride in the rugged Commonage area south of the city. They notified the police yesterday morning when he didn’t return home.

Molendyk says officers are speaking with Macinnes to find out 'the circumstances of his whereabouts for the last day.’ His family told police he wasn’t a very experienced rider.

Family friend Brad Durocher says everyone is relieved Macinnes is home safe.

“There are smiles on their faces,” Durocher says. “There was a lot of crying, a lot of worry, but now a lot of weight has been lifted off our shoulders. The family is very happy the worst didn’t happen.”

Search and rescue teams from Vernon, Kelowna and the Shuswap scoured the area looking for Macinnes by both ground and air, and Durocher says the family is truly grateful for their efforts.

“Thank you to all the search and rescue volunteers for all the time they took off work and away from their families to go and look for this friend of mine,” Durocher says.

While grateful, Durocher says friends and family were disappointed members of the public were turned away from the search.

“A lot of people were turning up and were told if they didn’t have any experience they could not help,” he says.

Search and rescue said the terrain was rugged and asked those without experience to stay away.

Durocher wishes to thank everyone for their concern and for all their help.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

—This story was updated at 11:50 a.m., Thursday, April 23 to include comments from Brad Durocher. 

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6 responses

  1. Roy Moore

    S&R did the right thing turning away people with no experience. The search is conducted on a grid system, searchers are looking for clues which the casual observer will likely miss and possibly destroy. They also don’t want to be wasting resources searching for and possibly rescuing searchers. He needs a good talking to about responsibility.

  2. Marilyn Gill

    With that being said we are very happy that you are home safe!

  3. Marilyn Gill

    So no helmet. disappears. cost taxes payers tons! and no explanation! We worried for what?

  4. Debbie Froese-Prato

    he’s refusing to say where he was.

  5. Debbie Froese-Prato

    I hope he & his family get charged for all the search people that were sent out looking.

  6. Barb Smith

    An answer to prayer.

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Howard Alexander

Howard Alexander

Assistant Editor Howard Alexander comes to iNFOnews.ca from the broadcasting side of the media business.

Howard has been a reporter, news anchor, talk show host and news director, first in Saskatchewan and then the Okanagan.

He moved his family to Vernon in the 90s and is proud to call the Okanagan home.

If you have an event to share contact Howard at 250-309-5343or email halexander@infonews.ca.

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