Where there’s a Willard there’s a way
This part of the world was gripped for several days as the mystery behind Willard McKay’s disappearance played out.
A week ago Friday night marked the last time the 80-year-old Tatamagouche-area man was seen, until he was discovered five days later at the side of a logging road near Springhill. He was dehydrated, disoriented and without his van, but considering the circumstances – and the alternatives – he was in remarkably good shape.
Questions still remain, to which there may never be answers. The van will most likely be found, if it hasn’t already. However, Willard’s ordeal in that remote section of Nova Scotia over those five days, with soaring temperatures during the day and much cooler nights may have to remain a mystery. It’s altogether possible his mind did him a favour by keeping the desperation of the situation from him. Unable to comprehend this, he may well have been able to endure far better than most would. Regardless, this is one tough 80-year-old.
Willard may, at some point, have a pretty amazing story to tell; then again, he may not.
The story that can be told though, is one of a community’s call to action, against odds that mounted with every passing hour he was missing.
There were fears. There were doubts. But there was no let-up. Rather than waning interest, each day simply brought greater determination.
And in the course of five days in July, we all got to know Willard McKay. This was a man who sat at the bar – though he wasn’t a drinker – because he enjoyed the company of others, and they, his. When someone who’d had a bit too much to drink needed a ride home, Willard was at the wheel seeing they got there safely, never looking for compensation. In a good community, Willard McKay is good people.
Willard McKay’s story ranks among those that resonate with all. You don’t have to know him personally – though many will say you’re the better for it, if you do. When so many similar tales end tragically, discovering him alive raised a collective sense of jubilation, it practically shook the ground beneath us.
In the end, it was by chance that Willard was found Wednesday afternoon so far from his home and in such a remote location. But he was found. Divine intervention? A miracle? Take your pick. But never doubt that a close sense of community played no small part in bringing one of their own home, despite facing what surely seemed like insurmountable odds.