The hunt for a missing soldier who had just graduated from a military training centre in Ontario kicked into high gear Monday.

Andrew Fitzgerald, 19, was out celebrating with friends, but vanished early Saturday morning.

The last known image of Fitzgerald was captured at 4:30 a.m. Saturday morning on a surveillance camera at an Own Sound, Ontario gas station.

“Saturday morning, about 10:30, we had a soldier that did not show up for work,” says Maj. Mike Plaunt of the 4th Canadian Training Centre.

Originally from Cape Breton, Fitzgerald’s parents had gone to Ontario to celebrate his graduation. Now, they anxiously wait as soldiers join police in hunting for any sign of their son.

“There’s always concern when a missing person call comes in and we don’t have any contact from that person,” says StaffSergeant Mike Daze of the Owen Sound Police.

Investigators are asking residents of that community to check their properties for any sign of the young private.

In the meantime, halfway around the world, Canada’s top military man has been briefed on the situation, and wants the Fitzgerald family to know the department will do whatever is necessary to find him.

“I just want to reassure the families that all resources will be put into place for this, because obviously this has come as a shock and we will make sure that all resources are made available,” said DefenceMinister Harjit Sajjanin  a phone interview.

Monday’s efforts involved 75 soldiers joining police in the search, but there’s no word on what, if anything, was found.

A Go-Fund-Me page set up to help the family with expenses topped its $5,000 goal in less than a day, money that will help fuel a search for the young man who disappeared a long way from home.

Police in Owen Sound have been careful not to characterize Fitzgerald’s disappearance as suspicious. At this point, they’ll only say they’re dealing with a missing person’s case.

Fitzgerald is described as a six-foot-two white male, about 180 pounds with a lean, muscular build and short brown hair. He was last seen wearing a black baseball hat, red plaid shirt, beige shorts and black skateboarding-style shoes.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Bruce Frisko