The search for a woman missing in the Sooke area continued Wednesday, with search-and-rescue volunteers, police dogs and Sooke RCMP combing the sometimes rugged terrain around the Charters Creek fish hatchery.
The effort to locate Melissa McDevitt, 38, began Saturday after her grey Subaru Forester was found in the hatchery parking lot.
Her father, Tom McDevitt, has flown in from North Carolina and is also part of the search.
RCMP had no updates to give on Wednesday.
The avid hiker was scheduled to travel from Victoria to Vancouver for a Saturday flight to North Carolina to visit family, but did not show up.
A surveillance video from just before 2 p.m. Friday shows her in the parking lot. She can be seen wearing a burgundy top and blue pants, and carrying hiking poles.
Efforts to locate McDevitt have involved search-and-rescue members from across the Island, a Saanich police dog and RCMP air services, with Sooke RCMP heading the effort.
Paul Berry of Comox Valley Search and Rescue said searchers are concerned as temperatures have been cool and McDevitt was not well prepared to be outside for an extended time.
"But everything we've learned about Melissa is she's very determined and searchers are very positive and working hard to find her in good condition," he told CHEK on Tuesday.
The search area is within the Sea to Sea Regional Park and contains many trails, including deer trails, said Mike Hicks, former regional director for the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area. “There’s little offshoot trails everywhere.”
The Galloping Goose Regional Trail also cuts through the area, which is steep, wilderness terrain, he said. “It’s classic, West Coast, tough trails.”
McDevitt is described as petite — about five feet tall and slim — and weighing about 105 pounds, and could initially show signs of cognitive delay. She has alopecia but could be wearing a wig or have short hair dyed in rainbow colours.
Anyone with information is asked to call Sooke RCMP at 250-642-5241 or Victoria police at 250-995-0765, extension 1.
