‘The dog came back, she didn't’: Family of missing Cape Breton senior speaks out
It was a difficult weekend for Larry Gibbons. He hasn't seen his long-time partner since early Friday.
Gibbons says Susan Bain, 79, took their dog for a walk near their home in Middle River, N.S. He says when he came home from getting groceries in nearby Baddeck, she hadn't returned - but the dog eventually did.
"Our little dog came running by with a broken leash on," says Gibbons. "I was terrified. I knew she took rubber boots. She was just walking in about 11 degrees or so."
Gibbons contacted police. By the evening, a large search team was combing the area around Gold Brook Road.
"We had approximately 70 people on site that Friday night and then, the snow hit,” says Paul Vienneau, search manager for Cape Breton Search and Rescue.
Vienneau says searchers faced snow squalls, reduced visibility and temperatures well below freezing much of the weekend.
Bain’s home isn’t far from a major bridge washout along the Cabot Trail at Gold Brook. The section of highway was severely damaged during the rain and wind storm that lashed Cape Breton and Eastern Mainland Nova Scotia nearly two weeks ago.
"She wanted to go up and see the bridge, where the bridge was out,” says Vienneau. “And the dog came back, she didn't. We can't speculate on what happened."
Gibbons says his partner has severe rheumatoid arthritis and some memory loss.
"Police have told us that the odds are pretty low,” he says. "She was independent, and if she's not around anymore... I think this is probably one of the ways she would think is a good way to go. In the forest. She loved animals, and the forest."
With a rainfall warning issued for the area, RCMP suspended the search for Bain Monday. It's expected to resume Tuesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
BREAKING Canadian Blood Services apologizes to LGBTQ2S+ community for discriminatory blood donation policy
Canadian Blood Services issued an apology on Friday to the LGBTQ2S+ community for what it now admits was a harmful and discriminatory blood donation policy that prevented sexually active men who have sex with men and some trans people from donating blood and plasma.
BREAKING 'Just wait': Toronto mayor hints that WNBA team is coming to the city amid multiple reports
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says that she is hopeful an announcement could be made soon amid multiple reports that a WNBA team is coming to Toronto in 2026.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.