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Full-scale search for lost senior
86-year-old last seen going for hike Thursday
TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Enlarge Image
About 40 experienced searchers are looking for 86 year-old Joseph Kuz, who went for a hike Thursday near Hadashville and hasn't been seen since.
CREWS will resume combing the woods near Hadashville this morning in search of an 86-year-old man who never returned from a hike on Thursday.
Just days after a missing mushroom-picker was found safe and sound, RCMP, along with local firefighters and search-and-rescue crews launched a full-scale search for Joseph Kuz. Kuz was visiting family and friends in Hadashville, in the RM of Reynolds, when police say he went on a planned hike in the forest, north of the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Hadashville.
He left early Thursday morning and was expected home that night. Family alerted RCMP Friday morning of Kuz’s disappearance; police launched an investigation and sent a helicopter over the area Friday afternoon to take a preliminary look.
About 40 experienced searchers began a full-scale ground search Saturday morning with sniffer dogs and air support. They concentrated their efforts on a four squarekilometre section on the northwest corner of Highway 1 and Highway 11 and the Civil Air Search And Rescue Association also had a plane in the air over the bush.
The good news, said Cpl. Rob Taylor, is that searchers have located orange flagging tape, which Kuz’s nephew said Kuz took with him on the hike. The tape is sporadic and doesn’t appear to follow a clear route, but it has given searchers reason to hope for the best.
"He may have zigged when he should have zagged," said Taylor.
Kuz, in good shape for his age, often goes on prospecting hikes to search for rocks, and he may have had a raincoat with him. Taylor said searchers are concerned, though, since the nights are getting cooler and Kuz doesn’t have much food with him.
Myron Lamaga, Kuz’s nephew, helped scour the woods and said his uncle is carrying a shovel, axe, can of insecticide and a rolled-up newspaper. He said Kuz is not overly familiar with the area, adding it’s been more than 70 years since he’s lived here.
Lamaga said he remains optimistic search teams will find him.
"I thought they’d find him close to the road, face down," Lamaga said. "Now, I feel like there’s some hope, that he’s still out there someplace."
Kuz is 6-feet tall and 200 pounds. Police say he is believed to have been wearing a grey shirt and grey pants, a dark raincoat and a red baseball cap.
Anyone who sees someone matching this description along the Trans-Canada Highway is asked to contact RCMP.
A similar search ended well on Friday.
Search and rescue officials were astounded that Nadia Monaco, a 66-year-old diabetic, fared as well as she did after two days in the cold, wet bush. Monaco was found in the Belair Provincial Forest, north of Stead. The Winnipeg woman became separated from a group picking mushrooms, but she was found healthy and in good spirits, if a little dehydrated.
Taylor said he’s hoping for the same happy ending in Kuz’s disappearance.
Lamaga said his uncle grew up near Hadashville and now lives in Winnipeg. He said Kuz has no children but keeps in touch with his two sisters and one brother.
"He’s elderly," Lamaga said. "He used to trap and he grew up in the area but he’s 86."
— with files from Jen Skerritt and Trevor Hagan
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