Presumed Deceased BC - Melissa McDevitt, believed missing while hiking at Sooke Potholes; Dec 2022

[One Fat Marmot]

Major search underway in BC Canada...

Evidently MM was due to visit family in NC and never made it onto the plane in Vancouver. Her car was discovered at the Sooke Potholes. And there is trailhead video which shows her heading onto the trail. She has hiked at this spot many times.

Video here:

Police search for missing hiker in Sooke

RCMP and search and rescue teams are on the lookout for a missing woman who was last seen at a parking lot at the Sooke Potholes.

vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca

 

[One Fat Marmot]

Sooke is on the southern end of Vancouver Island.

 

[One Fat Marmot]

MM's car was found at the Charters Creek parking lot. Wow, this place looks magical:

Charters Creek | A Short Walk Through An Enchanted Forest

10-20 minute walk worth stopping for on the way to Sooke Potholes. Along Charters Creek salmon ponds and a magnificent old growth forest

vancouverislandbucketlist.com

 

[Rainforest]

FWIW, MM went on her hike on Friday. It is now Tuesday.

This isn't good, and from the video in the parking lot, she doesn't have her pack with her. She goes hiking there a lot, though, and that's a positive.

 

[She Made Me Do It]

This is making me so sad. Come home, MM!

 

[Chill]

No news today, either. Terrible. It's now 5 days.

Search for hiker Melissa McDevitt near Sooke enters fifth day

Tom McDevitt says finding his daughter alive would be a miracle as the search for the 39-year-old Victoria woman enters its fifth day

www.cheknews.ca

Evidently, there was a windstorm on Friday. That was the day she went missing.

 

[Chill]

They've ended the search for today, Thursday, the 6th day, to give searchers a rest. They will resume en masse for Saturday, with air support.

I guess that means they've reached the stage of recovery I feel so much for this Dad. He just seems so lovely.

 

[Chill]

I forgot the source:

Search for missing woman in Sooke scaling back until big push this weekend

The search for a woman missing in the Sooke Hills park area of Vancouver Island has been scaled back to give crews a break after five days of searching.

vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca

 

[Naughty Pine]

Yes, LE saying recovery. They think she took cover from the storm on Friday when she went missing, and could be under tree roots, etc.

Melissa McDevitt search: Crews prepare for 'large-scale' recovery mission

Search efforts for Melissa McDevitt continued Thursday as crews prepare for a wide-scale search this weekend.

www.cheknews.ca

 

[Chill]

Yes, LE saying recovery. They think she took cover from the storm on Friday when she went missing, and could be under tree roots, etc.

Melissa McDevitt search: Crews prepare for 'large-scale' recovery mission

Search efforts for Melissa McDevitt continued Thursday as crews prepare for a wide-scale search this weekend.

www.cheknews.ca

She's so tiny, and she is neurodivergent, so she might not have a predictable notion of where to take refuge. She also knows the trails area really well, and may have felt comfortable in places where others might feel intimidated. These are really dense wooded areas as is.

This is all so sad.

 

[Twiglets]

I hope there's a successful recovery tomorrow. I'll bet she's right near the trail, maybe even close to the trailhead.

 

[Cliffed Out]

Last night’s (Saturday’s) update. This has great video of the searchers and their thoughts about where MM might be.

Nearly 200 volunteers aid in search for hiker reported missing last week

Resources from across the province poured in on Saturday during another search for missing hiker, Melissa McDevitt.

www.cheknews.ca

 

[Cabin Fever]

With sadness:

Melissa McDevitt search suspended nine days after she went missing

Officials are suspending their search for Melissa McDevitt nine days after she's believed to have gone missing near Sooke.

www.cheknews.ca

 

[She Made Me Do It]

This one really pulls at my heartstrings. I feel so protective. Maybe I got this feeling from the dad, or maybe there’s some piece in all of us that can identify with trusting the universe to bring you out safely, and perhaps overdoing the trust.

 

[I Am A Rock]

There's a new article all about MM. Lovely article. So heartfelt, with some more of her history and home.

As far as wilderness, she seems to have been VERY experienced, in so many sports. This might not have saved her, but it might also have made a difference:

“She had all of her heavy winter gear, her other pants, her vest with the water bottle, her snack bars, that little silver blanket for if you get caught in the cold, she had everything. I mean, she had everything,” Tom said. “But it was in her car.”

I have heart pangs for this case.

Searching for a seeker: The fearless life and tragic disappearance of Melissa McDevitt

Flitting about her apartment on Vancouver Island, Melissa McDevitt had already packed her bag in preparation for the long journey from Canada’s west coast back to Haywood County. She was to spend a month over Christmas with her parents, Tom and Maggie, enjoying the traditions they all held so...

smokymountainnews.com