Calgarian missing 2 weeks is 'yoga fanatic,' loving brother and witty extrovert, says desperate family

A 34-year-old Calgarian who has been missing for more than two weeks is a loving big brother, a "yoga fanatic" and an extrovert known for his witty banter, his family said as they appealed to the public for help finding him.

Simpson Van der Linden was last seen on April 21. On that day, he spent time in the Beltline and possibly Signal Hill.

That is also the last day he returned any calls, texts or spent time on social media, with his family saying it's totally out of character for him to be out of touch with them for so long.

"Anyone close to him is devastated and exceptionally concerned by the news of his disappearance," his sisters, Bretton and Kara Chad, wrote in a statement sent out on Wednesday.

Van der Linden had just returned to Calgary from Peru.

He was supposed to travel on to Costa Rica to renew his diving instruction certification but returned to Canada as travel restrictions ramped up, according to his mother, Laurel Chad.

Chad says Van der Linden had sublet his Calgary apartment so when he returned, he was staying at an AirBnB.

When he got back to Canada, Van der Linden didn't feel well so he was tested for COVID-19 and self-isolated for 14 days.

The swab came back negative for the virus but, two weeks later, Van der Linden still wasn't feeling well and had attended the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre at 4th Street S.W. in the Beltline on a couple of occasions, according to his mother.

Van der Linden's family said they were releasing details of his last known whereabouts in hopes it will trigger information that may help find him.

On Tuesday, April 21, Van der Linden attended the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre around mid-afternoon, his family says. 

Later on, security camera video showed Van der Linden took out money from an ATM at the RBC at 2215 4th St. S.W. at about 5 p.m.

Finally, around 8 p.m., the missing man's phone "pinged" in the Signal Hill area. 

Van der Linden's family says he spent most of his time in the Beltline neighbourhood of Calgary and say "it just doesn't make any sense that he was down in that Signal Hill area.

"That has thrown us for a loop," said Chad.

Chad says her son is friendly, thoughtful and approachable — a kind soul who has never disappeared like this before. 

Sometimes they'd go a period without talking but any time his family members reached out, Van der Linden would respond, says his mother.

"Simpson is a loving and thoughtful big brother. He enjoys the outdoors and is a yoga fanatic," the family said in the statement.

"He is very friendly and will literally have a conversation with anyone. Simpson is known for his witty banter and can occasionally take a political topic too far at a family gathering.

"It goes without saying that anyone close to him is devastated and exceptionally concerned by the news of his disappearance."

Family reported Van der Linden missing on April 30.

Van der Linden is five feet, nine inches tall, weighs 160 pounds and has brown hair and hazel eyes. 

He was last seen wearing a dark coloured jacket, white T-shirt, grey pants, surgical mask and headphones.

The family praised police efforts so far in the investigation but are concerned about a lack of leads. 

"Although we appreciate the officers' efforts thus far in the investigation and believe they are working diligently to find Simpson, there are admittedly few leads in his case."