Missing senior’s car found on Cowichan logging road
The vehicle belonging to Gladys Barman, an 82-year-old Oak Bay woman last seen on July 5, has been located on a remote logging road near Lake Cowichan.
Her dark-green Honda Accord was found by a citizen on Saturday.
Island District RCMP said Monday that search efforts are underway in the area where the car was found. Cowichan Search and Rescue, an RCMP helicopter, RCMP police dog services and other agencies are involved.
The search will continue “for the foreseeable future,” police said.
Police had a lead on her whereabouts when someone matching her description was seen in Genoa Bay, but were unable to confirm it was her. Cowichan Search-andRescue volunteers combed the area around the community, after the tip came in July 10.
A Facebook page set up by her son, Neil, is titled Finding Gladys Barman and includes maps of search areas and other information. Neil Barman has issued a request that the public watch for his mother in their travels around Vancouver Island.
He has said it is unusual for his mother to venture out of Victoria.
Gladys Barman has been involved in the community, delivering the Times Colonist for the past 23 years to keep active and serving as a longtime volunteer for both the Thrifty Foods Sendial program and the Times Colonist Book Sale.
Police are hoping to hear from anyone who might have seen Gladys Barman or her car in the vicinity of Lake Cowichan in the days leading up to Saturday.
She is described as white with grey hair and blue eyes, and is five-foot-eight and about 185 pounds. She wears glasses and was last seen wearing a teal windbreaker, white shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers.
Her car’s licence plate is 940 RGA, and the last sighting of her came when she had the vehicle at the Petro-Canada gas station on West Saanich Road on July 5.
Anyone with information is asked to call Oak Bay police at 250-592-2424 or local police.