Coquitlam search and Rescue was called to search for one missing hiker in the Widgeon Falls area on Monday in a frustrating search that suffered from incomplete and perhaps even false information.

The team was called at 5:30PM to look for a missing hiker, and was told that the subject's hiking partner was the person who reported them missing. However, when the team landed at the Widgeon Slough campground, the person was not to be found. When they could not be located at the Grant Narrows area (where canoeists usually put in for the trip to the Widgeon Area), it was decided to treat both hikers as missing, and to carry on the search until they could be located.

	Courtesy of CTV Searchers look at maps and discuss strategy for finding a missing hiker near Coquitlam's Widgeon Falls Monday.

Two helicopters were used to search the area from the campground to Widgeon Lake, a distance of over 10km. At the same time, several teams were moved into the area by 4x4 and the team's Argo vehicle. When efforts to locate the missing hikers from the air failed, and as the sun was setting, teams were put on the ground at Widgeon Lake and other areas along the trail to continue the search on foot.

As the search progressed it was discovered that the person who had called 911 to report the hikers missing was not one of the hikers, but was asked by them to call for help. Since this person did not leave her name or number, it was impossible for the team to contact her and ask i the hikers had made it out or not, or even to ask for a description of the missing hikers.

The search continued until 3:30AM when the last ground team hiked in from Widgeon Lake. Since, at that time, the search had been in progress for 10 hours with no one located, and no missing persons report had been filed, the search was stood down.

Coquitlam SAR and the Coquitlam RCMP would still like to hear from the person who called 911, or anyone who talked to the hiker who had lost his partner. Anyone with information is asked to call Coquitlam RCMP at 604-945-1550.

This is not in an effort to blame anyone , but rather to find out if the people in question are OK, and to be sure that information vital to a search is not lost.