Call to reopen search for missing paramedic comes after hiker survives 50 days in northeast B.C. woods
Jim Barnes was reported missing the same day as Sam Benastick, who was recently found alive
The story of a man who survived 50 days in northeastern B.C.'s backcountry has reignited interest in the search for a second man who was reported missing the same weekend in a different part of B.C.'s Peace region.
Jim Barnes, 29, was last seen on Oct. 18 when he took his golden retriever, Murphy, out to an area near Groundbirch Forest Service Road, southeast of Chetwynd, B.C., and about 60 kilometres southwest of Fort St. John.
He was reported missing on Oct. 19 after he failed to return home — the same day that 20-year-old Sam Benastick was reported missing in the Redfern-Keily Provincial Park, about 250 kilometres northwest of Fort St. John.
The official searches for both men were also called off around the same time, with the search for Barnes suspended by Oct. 25 and the search for Benastick ended by Oct. 28.
But with Benastick being found earlier this week, there are now calls to reopen the official search for Barnes in the hopes that he too may still be found before winter fully sets in.
"Sam's case kind of reignited this hope that I think some of us might have lost," said Jahaziel Trudell, who started an online petition calling for the search to be reopened.
Trudell said she became aware of Barnes's case while working as an industrial medic in the Fort St. John area, and felt drawn to the case after discovering he was a paramedic.
"I'm a first responder myself and this case, it kind of touched me," she said.
"I just really want to work on getting resources and more access to reopen Jim's case."
RCMP say they will continue to follow leads
RCMP said the file for Barnes's disappearance is still open and they will continue to follow any leads that are found.
As for the request to reopen the search, North District RCMP media spokesperson Cpl. Madonna Saunderson said Thursday she would follow up with Chetwynd RCMP for more information about Barnes's case. On Friday, she was unavailable to share those updates.
A second RCMP spokesperson also said they would follow up with Chetwynd RCMP, and directed CBC News to the province's search and rescue (SAR) policy for information on how and when SAR volunteers are deployed.
The policy states that Emergency Management B.C. is responsible for coordinating and committing the recommended number of resources needed for a given search, based on requests from specific agencies, including police.
Chris Mushumanski, president of the B.C. Search and Rescue Association, said in the case of missing people, it is up to RCMP to request SAR crews.
"They are the ultimate authority in terms of deciding what tools are used," he said in a phone interview. "Fundamentally, it is an RCMP decision."
Request for locals to keep eyes and ears open
Barnes's partner, Micaela Sawyer, said she is glad Benastick's story and the petition from Trudell are getting more people to pay attention to Barnes's story, even though she said search crews had already done "about everything that you possibly could" to find him.
"They have absolutely hammered the area in which Jim was last seen," she said.
But, she said she hopes the renewed publicity will get people in the area to "reopen their eyes and keep their ears open" for any sign of him.
Sawyer said Barnes went out on Oct. 17 to gather firewood with his truck, dog and firearms he used for hunting.
She reported him missing after he failed to return home for his work shift on Oct. 18.
She told CBC News that RCMP had determined Barnes was seen at around 11 a.m. on the 18th, and that police had located his vehicle, which still contained his phone, keys, bag and at least one firearm — though she believes he may have brought a second firearm with him that has not been located.
Sawyer described Barnes as an experienced outdoorsman who is familiar with the area he went missing from, and said she has no idea what may have happened to him or their dog.
She said while Benastick's story gave her "a little bit of hope" she worried because while he had gone out prepared for an extended stay in the woods, Barnes was only going out for the day.
"[Benastik] had so much gear with him and Jim had nothing," she said.
Trudell said with temperatures dropping, it is vital to get more people looking for Barnes.
"We still want answers," she said. "We want to be able to give his friends and family the closure that they need."
With files from Hanna Petersen, Tom Popyk and Radio West