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UPDATED: Remains of two people found on Vancouver Island

Officials have not said whether or not the remains belong to two missing men, last seen in Ucluelet in mid-May
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Ryan Daley and Dan Archbald were last seen leaving Ucluelet’s inner boat basin on foot on May 16. (Photo - RCMP)

The RCMP and B.C. Coroners Service continue to investigate the remains of two bodies found near Ucluelet late last week.

A news released posted by the RCMP on Monday states the remains were found by a woman walking her dog near Ucluelet.

Sgt. Janelle Shoihet of the BC RCMP told the Westerly News on Tuesday that police are not releasing the specific location or the date that the remains were found and an investigation is ongoing.

“At this point, it’s too early to make any determination with respect to whether or not it’s suspicious or whether or not there’s any foul play. The investigation right now is ongoing. Hopefully, we will be able to determine that eventually but, at this point, it’s really too preliminary to say,” Shoihet said

Andy Watson of the B.C. Coroner’s Service said the investigation into the identities of the deceased, as well as the cause of death, was ongoing on Tuesday.

“We are working closely with the RCMP,” Watson said. “Our role in this will obviously be to determine: identity of the remains, when, where, how and by what means the decedents came to die.”

The discovery of the remains comes while police are also investigating the disappearance of Dan Archbald and Ryan Daley, who were last seen leaving a Ucluelet dock on-foot on May 16.

“At this time, it is too early to determine whether the remains are of missing men Ryan Daley and Daniel Archbald and police continue to investigate their disappearance,” the release states. “We are working with the families of the missing men and ask that their privacy be respected at this time.”

A Facebook page titled ‘Find Ryan and Dan’ was launched on May 27 along with a GoFundMe page set up to help raise money for search efforts for Daley and Archbald.

The Facebook page has been taken down and the GoFundMe Page, which raised $18,780 in 22 days, is no longer accepting donations.

Police believe the two men arrived in Ucluelet on May 13 after a roughly eight-week sailing trip from Panama.

READ MORE: Search continues for two missing men

READ MORE: Missing men were on dream voyage from Panama

Security footage showed them both leaving the dock at Ucluelet’s inner boat basin on-foot on May 16 and friends and family members say they have not seen or heard from either man since.

Earlier this month the Island’s Major Crime Unit took over the investigation and labeled the disappearance as suspicious.

READ MORE: Missing B.C. men last seen in Ucluelet

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