Search for missing woman cut back

RCMP are scaling back their search for a Winnipeg woman in the forest above Peachland, suggesting she could be anywhere.

Search volunteers and Mounties have spent most of the last week scouring the bush for clues after Kara Stoyanowski disappeared near Brenda Mine on June 9. Some are starting to feel she may not be in the area any longer.

“We’re cutting back on the number of searchers,” said RCMP spokesman Cpl. Joe Duncan. “She could be in Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Vancouver. My concern is she’s in the middle of the bush somewhere.”

The 24-year-old was camping with her fiance and perhaps others when she walked into the forest wearing only a shirt, shorts and flip-flops. Police have ordered searchers not to discuss the circumstances of her disappearance with others.

Investigators haven’t told Duncan whether Stoyanowski stormed off after an argument or why she walked away. She served jail time in Manitoba, but Duncan said she’s not wanted by police in B.C.

A sniffer dog will continue hunting for scent tracks near Headwaters and Peachland Lake Road for the next few days. The RCMP helicopter will also fly spotters above the area.

Search-and-rescue volunteers, however, appear to have some time off. Fifteen of them were tracking in the bush on Tuesday, but none were out Wednesday or plan to be today.

“We have a large community we can draw resources from,” search manager Stan Wieczorek said Wednesday. “We’ve brought people in from Penticton, Osoyoos, Princeton and Kamloops at different times. They’re all volunteers, and all of them give up a day’s wages.”

If Stoyanowski is in the bush, there’s a good chance she’s alive, said Duncan. There’s plenty of water to drink from streams and the nights haven’t been too cold.

“I know there are other forest service camps out there. Maybe she’s holed up out there,” Duncan said.

Officers are asking for tips. Call 250-768-2880.