RCMP and search and rescue crews are scouring the Highwood Pass area for an Australian hiker missing since Sunday (Aug. 21).
As of Thursday afternoon, the search had entered its fifth day, with no sign found of Kevin Kennedy, 59, found.
According to public safety specialist and search coordinator Burke Duncan, 20 hours of helicopter time has been put in, along with more than 1,000 man hours by conservation officers and search and rescue personnel from Calgary, Cochrane and B.C.
The search has been staged from the Highwood Pass day use area on Highway 40.
According to RCMP Sgt. Patrick Webb, Kennedy was visiting family in Calgary with his wife when he traveled into K-Country for a day hike.
He was reported overdue later the same day when he failed to show up at a prearranged location to be picked up.
A limited search on the weekend was conducted, along with an organized search on Monday (Aug. 22) utilizing ground teams and a helicopter.
While the aerial search was hampered by strong winds, further search efforts were made on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday using the helicopter and volunteer and search and rescue personnel.
Webb said no indications of Kennedy were found and now RCMP are asking anyone who was hiking in the area on Sunday for assistance.
Kennedy is described as six feet tall, 170 lbs, with grey thinning hair and glasses. He was last seen wearing a light blue shirt, khaki shorts, brown/orange fleece, dark coloured hat, blue backpack and carrying a navy blue rain coat.
He added while Kennedy’s planned route is known, it is possible at the last minute he changed his mind and went a different way.
“We don’t know and that is why we are looking for the public’s assistance,” he said, adding RCMP have already received a couple of phone calls from hikers who may have seen him.
The route Kennedy had planned to take was about 12 kilometres in total, said Duncan, on time-worn routes that are not marked or maintained. Typically, he said, about five hours would be required to complete the route Kennedy said he was taking.
The route would have taken Kennedy to the Pocaterra Cirque and Grizzly Col into Paradise Valley and a return to the Highwood Pass parking area.
“His wife dropped him off at 10 a.m. (Sunday),” said Duncan. “She saw him walk away, then drove around to sightsee, then came back at 2 p.m., waited, then reported him missing. She’s had to do that before.”
Duncan said Kennedy is an avid hiker who belongs to a club, but in this instance was alone. Kennedy had a daypack with him, with extra clothes and some food, but Duncan is unsure if he had firestarter materials.
Fortunately, said Duncan, the weather has been good, with 6:30 a.m. temperatures at the Highwood site at 8 C or better.
Since the search began, Duncan estimates searchers have spoken with 250 to 300 hikers in the popular hiking area, some of which were on the same route as Kennedy. One group thought they saw the missing man on a Mt. Tyrwhitt scramble, but the report has not been confirmed.
“Right now we have no clues,” said Duncan, who estimates 100 square miles have been searched so far, including into B.C. “Teams have seen a few bears and some sign and they’ve been looking at everything. It could be a medical issue, from a stroke to a heart attack; we just have no idea what happened to him.
“It’s getting to the point now where we have to look behind every tree, but nobody has the resources for that. But we’ll keep going.
“It’s a classic mystery.”
Duncan said helicopters may not be used further as it is believed all areas that could be covered with an aerial search have been.
Anyone who believes they may have encountered Kennedy is asked to contact Kananaskis RCMP at 403-591-7707 as any information may be important in finding him.
