A missing person nearly was not found because her friends were worried about her pending arrest warrant.
Port Alberni RCMP said they received a report of a missing person on December 30, 2024, and that the woman was hiking and picking mushrooms around Cameron main Service Road.
She had last been seen around 2:30 p.m. the previous day, and friends searched day and night to find her but were unsuccessful.
Police then learned they delayed filing the report due to her having an arrest warrant and were attempting to avoid interacting with police.
Sgt. Chet Carroll of the Port Alberni RCMP said RCMP had to analyze cryptic details in the report to figure out where to search.
“We should always strive to do the right thing, but it is even more important to be honest when someone’s life is at risk.”
RCMP collaborated with Alberni Valley Rescue Squad to find the woman late in the afternoon on the day the report was filed.
The woman was found and had spent the night outdoors without appropriate clothing and was transferred to hospital with the arrest warrant being addressed later by RCMP.
