The parents of a missing Langford 16-year-old are desperately hoping he will be found safe and are asking people across southern Vancouver Island to continue searching for him.
Glenn and Denise Courtemanche have not seen their son Andre since New Year’s Day, when he left their Cressida Crescent home after an argument. They reported him missing at 7 p.m. when he did not return home.
Andre walked out the back of the property, which connects with the E & N trail. His parents do not know if he headed north or south, which is why they’re asking anyone from Victoria to Shawnigan Lake to look out for their son.
The couple is worried that Andre might be suicidal, since he had stopped taking medication for depression.
Much of the search has focused on Goldstream Park, since Andre had previously talked about jumping off the trestle, said Denise Courtemanche.
“I just kind of feel and pray that he got to the trestle and he decided to keep walking north,” said Glenn Courtemanche.
The pandemic had taken a toll on Andre’s mental health, his mother said, as her son felt isolated from his school and friends.
Andre had been on medication since he was hospitalized at age 14 because of severe depression after bullying at his high school. His mother said he was doing better after switching to the Westshore Centre for Learning and Training, but his classes were cut to half days in September because of COVID-19.
After his parents found out he had stopped taking his medication, they tried unsuccessfully to convince him to start again by calling a mental-health crisis line and his doctor, Denise Courtemanche said. She said she’s worried about the lack of mental-health resources in B.C., especially amid the pandemic, when many are struggling with depression and isolation.
Andre did not have a phone with him. He has gone missing before, but always returned after a few hours.
Andre is an introvert who has always stayed close to home, so his parents said the five days he’s been missing is the longest they’ve been away from him. “He’s a homebody,” his mother said. “He’s a kind and sweet boy.”
Denise Courtemanche said the family has relatives in Lake Cowichan they haven’t been able to see because of the pandemic, so Andre, who is physically fit, could be walking in that direction.
A Facebook group called Searching for Andre Courtemanche has attracted hundreds of members. People have been posting which parks and trails have been searched, and suggesting potential search areas.
“With the bad weather and the more days that go by, it gets more and more worrisome,” Denise Courtemanche said.
Andre is white, about five-foot-10 and 185 pounds, and has light brown hair. Police have asked people who frequent parks and trails in the region to be on the lookout for him.
He was last seen wearing a blue and black plaid fleece coat, blue jogging pants and brown hiking boots and had a headlamp with him.
Anyone with information on Andre’s whereabouts is asked to contact their local police department or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
kderosa@timescolonist.com
