Lost blueberry picker found safe
HALIFAX — A 73-year-old Dartmouth man who went missing Wednesday near Lake Echo has been found safe.
John Shannahan of Dartmouth was last seen at about 5:30 p.m. after he became separated from a friend Wednesday while picking blueberries near Highway 107 between Lake Echo and Grand Lake.
RCMP reported at about 12:30 p.m. Thursday that he had been found safe.
Const. Glen Coolidge said Shannahan was located along Highway 107 around 11:50 a.m.
“He had come out of the woods and a passerby saw him and stopped,” Coolidge said as search and rescue teams packed up their gear at the park and ride lot at Exit 18.
“He's good. He's been checked over by EHS and he's gone home, but he (has) no medical issues.”
N. Paul Service, Halifax Search and Rescue spokesperson, said five other teams joined the Halifax service in a co-ordinated effort, including Colchester, East Hants, Musquodoboit Valley, Eastern Shore, and Sheet Harbour. Halifax Fire provided drone support through the night and early in the day, he said, as well as two police service dogs. About 60 searchers took part, Service said.
“We sincerely appreciate the effort of the other teams coming together to help us out on a search like this,” he said. “In the temperatures and the humidity, we have to rotate our crews out fairly quickly, or in a shorter period than we normally would, and having the resources from the rest of the province come in to back us up is an incredible part of the search effort today. And to work side by side with us.”
Coolidge said the search began about 9 p.m. Wednesday evening for Shannahan after he did not return to his vehicle.
The Mountie said Shannahan simply became lost.
“He realized that,” Coolidge said. “He did sleep overnight, and under daylight, he saw the windmills, and that's what he went towards.”
Earlier, RCMP had asked drivers to slow down near the search area, south of Highway 107 at kilometre 22, between Lake Echo and Grand Lake. Traffic was reduced to one lane with reduced speeds in effect.