EXTRA resources are now in the field as the search for two missing mushroom pickers east of Terrace becomes the largest of its kind in years.
More than 100 volunteers have joined trained local search and rescue team leaders and ones from the Kamloops area and the Lower Mainland today in looking for Ike Murray, 26, and Michael Devlin Sabo, 32, who have not been seen since Sunday, Sept. 22.
In the air today is a Lakelse Air helicopter being paid for by Focus, one of the companies doing environmental and other work for a planned Trans Canada Pipelines natural gas pipeline.
“They showed up this morning and said they'd be providing two of their workers and the helicopter,” said Dave Jephson of Terrace Search and Rescue.
“We'll be using them to go far back,” he said of area not already covered by searchers.
“Depending upon the weather, they could be up there for five or six hours.”
In addition to the growing number of volunteers, members of provincial fire-fighting initial attack crews turned out yesterday, said Jephson.
Also in the field today are members of the local Ranger patrol, a volunteer militia-like group that's part of the Canadian Armed Forces.
They've had an outdoor exercise planned for months in the Kitwanga area and received permission to move closer to the search zone in the Lorne Creek.
“They have people on quads and we're using them to look higher up, to rule out areas where [the missing pickers] may have gone,” said Jephson. “They have the training and experience.”