A well-known member of Prince Edward Island’s running community, who’s also a family doctor, is missing.
Dr. Donald Stephens of Stratford hasn’t been seen since he went out for a run Wednesday night.
Forty members of the Prince Edward Island Ground Search and Rescue team, aided by two helicopters from Nova Scotia are covering woods just outside of Bonshaw looking for the 65-year-old man.
“There’s a lot of hills, very hilly and the woods is very thick in places,” explains Ken Hall, P.E.I. Ground Search and Rescue President. “And there’s a lot of trails, a lot of small trails and a lot of bigger trails.”
Family members say he went out for a run Wednesday night but did not return home.
“Last night at about 11 p.m. the Queens RCMP received a call about a male missing,” explains RCMP officer Sgt. Leanne Butler.
Stephens is a well-known endurance runner, he tends to cover 20 kilometres a day, and up to a hundred during competition.
Stephens is described as 5’11”, 180 pounds with brown, thinning hair and a slim build. He is believed to be wearing a running jacket and insulated running pants.
The 65-year-old is from Stratford but runs various routes around the province, sometimes through the streets, and sometimes he goes cross country.
Family members found his truck late Wednesday night.
“Shortly thereafter, the ground search rescue team was dispatched and we began searching through the night,” says Sgt. Butler.
The temperature is cold, -20 degrees with the wind-chill, difficult conditions for someone missing and for the search team.
“We’re dressed pretty good for it,” says Hall. “We are well prepared so even though it is pretty cold, we are prepared to get in there.”
RCMP say it could be a long night.
If Stephens isn’t found by nightfall Thursday, searchers will stay onsite and continue to search Friday.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Jonathan MacInnis.
