Police in eastern Canada have called off an extensive six-day air and ground search for a missing Australian hiker in a rugged national park. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced this week that operations were suspended after efforts involving dogs, 100 personnel, aircraft, and ground crews produced no new information regarding the whereabouts of Denise Ann Williams.
Williams, 62, has not been heard from since mid-April when she ventured into the Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia. The park spans more than 360 square miles, making it one of the largest protected wilderness areas in the province.
Investigators discovered Williams' rental car near the head of the Acadian Trail, a five-mile loop that offers hikers panoramic views of the Acadian coastline, the Chéticamp river valley, and the park's highland interior. The terrain is characterized by steep cliffs, deep river canyons, and extensive boggy areas, with trails that can quickly descend into ravines and dense boreal forest.
A sign at the Acadian Trail warns hikers to be on the lookout for black bears and moose. In 2009, folk singer Taylor Mitchell, 19, was hiking in the park when she was attacked by coyotes. Despite calling police, she succumbed to her injuries, marking the only confirmed fatal coyote attack on an adult human in North America.
RCMP Corporal Mandy Edwards told reporters that Williams was hiking alone on an adventure vacation, and police had no new information after exhaustive air and ground efforts over extremely challenging terrain. Parks Canada and local search teams frequently deal with lost hikers, injuries, and weather-related disorientation due to fast-moving fog from the Atlantic Ocean.
Local teams reported spending little time on well-marked trails. Chris Bellemore, head of a local search and rescue team, told CBC Nova Scotia: "We're in valleys. We're in ravines. We're walking through dense forested areas. We're walking in areas where there's a lot of windfalls, so it can be pretty challenging. Sometimes you can't even see your feet from some of the small trees that are growing up and some of the debris that's on the ground."
Bellemore expressed sympathy for Williams' family but remained hopeful, stating: "It's what's motivating us to take time off work, to be out there, to be able to try to find a positive outcome to all this."
