'Devastating': Search continues for missing Sask. mushroom picker
It’s been seven days since 74-year-old Lois Chartrand went missing while mushroom picking in the forest north of Smeaton, Sask.
“You always have hope. I don’t know if I could survive out there for four or five days, now it’s six days,” her husband Lorne Terry said on Wednesday.
The Whitefox, Sask. couple has picked and sold mushrooms, fiddleheads and wild berries for many years.
“This is one of the only things she loved doing,” said Terry about his wife.
He says Chartrand is familiar with the area and has been harvesting there for 30 years.
Chartrand’s son in-law Barry Legault said the ordeal has been difficult for Terry and everyone who knew Chartrand.
“It’s just devastating and we’re mystified. There’s not a trace of her. It just doesn’t make any sense," Legault said.
Lois Chartrand is seen dancing with her husband in an undated photo. (Courtesy Barry Legault)
Legault said family members flew in from Ontario upon hearing Chartrand was lost.
According to RCMP, Chartrand was reported missing on Aug. 4.
Chartrand and a friend rode a quad down a trail into the forest and then set out on foot with pails to pick mushrooms. They lost visual contact with one another while picking mushrooms.
Chartrand was last seen around 11:00 am that morning.
The friend was in contact with Chartrand on two-way radio. He tried to guide her out by sounding the horn on a vehicle.
Once on scene, police were also in contact with Chartrand on the two-way radio.
RCMP was last able to communicate with Chartrand via radio at 6:00 a.m. on Aug. 5.
Police say severe thunderstorms, wind and rain came through the area the night she went missing and impacted the search, including knocking down a search drone from above the trees.
“We are making every attempt to find Lois and return her to her family,” said RCMP Staff Sergeant Conrad Logan.
“Lois has been in the bush before and turned around and was able to make her way out but just in this instance it’s unfortunate she hasn’t been able to make it out on her own yet.”
The initial response to the call included members of Saskatoon Search and Rescue, RCMP search and rescue and local people familiar with the area.
An RCMP helicopter and the Saskatoon Police Service's plane equipped with thermal imaging have flown the area but were unable to locate Chartrand.
Police dogs and people on horseback are also involved in the ongoing search.
RCMP said they will continue to search the area. So far, people on foot have searched an 11-square-kilometre area.
Logan estimates more than 100 police, trained search crews and volunteers have scoured the area, including members of the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency and various firefighters.
He says there is no cell phone coverage at the site where Chartrand went missing.
The area is thick bush, swamp and muskeg.
“The terrain is quite challenging out there,” said Logan.
On day seven of the search, RCMP Staff Sgt. Logan says they are asking volunteers not to participate in order to allow police service dogs to search a wider area.
“We reassess our plan every day at the start of the shift and at the end of the shift,” he said.
Having only police dogs and their handlers in the area makes it easier for the dogs to do their work, Logan said.
Terry said as time passes, his concern and worry for his wife grows.
“I don’t think it’s going to turn out very good. It’s been too long now,” said Terry.
Chartrand is described as 90 pounds and five foot two inches. She was last seen wearing blue jeans and a blue jacket.
Terry says his wife is a “very private” person and she would be overwhelmed by the attention the ordeal has generated.
“I didn’t even realize that we’d get this kind of support. It’s unbelievable” said Terry while sobbing.
“They’ve all been fantastic.”
RCMP say members of the public familiar with the area are welcome to participate in the search in the days to come.
Volunteer searchers are asked to check in with the manager at the site to ensure search instructions are followed and for their safety.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Canadian couple among tourists on sinking sailing boat tour abroad
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their “extremely dangerous” experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
An Ontario senior called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Accused of burglary at stepmother's home, U.S. senator says she wanted her father's ashes: charges
A Minnesota state senator and former broadcast meteorologist told police that she broke into her stepmother's home because her stepmother refused to give her items of sentimental value from her late father, including his ashes, according to burglary charges filed Tuesday.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.