A Bowen Island resident who lives on boat at the pier has been missing since last Saturday night.
There is fear that 59-year-old Doug Mitchell may have drowned but his friends remain hopeful that he's alive.
The RCMP are concerned Mitchell fell into the water while alone and could not get out. His cell phone lost contact with the cell tower at 1:14 a.m. Saturday night.
In the days following his disappearance, a friend, who is a diver, searched under and around Mitchell's boat, the Pelagic, but found nothing. The RCMP sent a dive team to Bowen, Wednesday afternoon, to search the waters and they, too, did not find a body.
Mitchell was alone with his dog Cody on his boat on Saturday, the evening of the dock dance. He was in contact with friends earlier that night and the last known sighting was at about 9 p.m. He has not been seen since and left cigarettes, his wallet and Cody on the boat. His car remains parked nearby.
"There are not many other options," Cst. Bryan Mulrooney told the Undercurrent about why the dive team was called in. "Basically, we eliminate all other possibilities and this may be what we're left with."
Cst. Mulrooney said the dive team used sonar equipment to search much of the Cove and is certain there is no body in the extensive area they searched. They feel if Mitchell did meet an unfortunate end in the waters, it is possible his body surfaced and was moved by currents elsewhere.
At this time the RCMP have no plans to search further.
Norma Dallas, a friend of the missing Islander, and other friends, have put up posters with photos of Doug and feel he could still be alive. They ask if you should encounter him to call the RCMP at (604) 947-0516. Mitchell has whitish-blond thinning hair, is taller than six feet and is light-skinned with blue eyes. He is frail of health, about 160 pounds, and could be slightly disorientated.
The former bank manager has been of great help to others through his involvement with people who have addictions and is a much-loved figure on Bowen Island. He is an affable person and easy to approach.
