Cochrane Search and Rescue volunteers endure difficult conditions in search for Calgary man

Stanley Stooshinoff has been missing for a week.

The 68-year-old Calgary man was last seen by his wife at their northeast Calgary home on Wednesday, May 19 before he headed out for a day hike to the Sandy McNabb camping area.

The only trace of him found so far is his deserted car at the park trailhead.

Stanley Stooshinoff has been missing since May 19, 2021. Photo/Calgary Police 

Cochrane Search and Rescue volunteers have spent hundreds of hours over the past several days helping in the search for Stooshinoff, southwest of Turner Valley. 

The search conditions for the local volunteers have not been ideal. In fact Mark Smith, with Cochrane Search and Rescue says they have been quite challenging at times with snow, cold temperatures and heavy rain. 

"We were primarily on our ATV machines and we did have to get out and walk quite a bit of area because we just couldn't get through the snow any further so we tried to cover as much area as we could."

He says they sent members out on Thursday, Friday and Tuesday. 

"Yesterday as well we sent out eight members from our team again to help out in the search. We were there yesterday from about 8 a.m. and I think we got back into Cochrane at around 7 p.m., so we were out there all day searching a large area. Unfortunately we didn't find the person."

He says each one of the members volunteers their time and the days can be very long. 

"Not just the searching but the drive out there and then we have to make sure the equipment is cleaned and ready to go for the next search because we're always on call. There's always the potential that we might get back to our base of operations and then there could be another call that comes in. Definitely our members put a lot of hours in to making sure that we're always ready to deploy to any searches that may come in."

Hundreds of square kilometres have been covered by search crews from Foothills Search and Rescue, Calgary Search and Rescue Association as well as the Calgary Police Service and the RCMP.

The search has consisted on the ground, ATV's and in the air.