Girl disappears at lake party

A Vanderhoof youth is missing and a full search of ground and water is underway at Hogsback Lake, about half an hour south of the Omineca town.

Madison Scott, 20, parked her truck and pitched her tent at the lake on Friday, as many did from her peer group. There was a party at the campsite that night, and she was there enjoying the spring fling. She somehow disappeared into the blur of revelry and twilight.

"She was last seen by those at the party around 3:00 a.m. Saturday morning," said RCMP spokesman Sgt. Rob Vermeulen. Her family called police when she did not return on Sunday afternoon as expected. A check with her friends indicated no contact after the last sighting of her at the party.

"Police did attend the site and have located her tent and truck, but search efforts to date have not managed to find Madison," Vermeulen told The Citizen. "They started at the campsite and searched the shoreline of Hogsback Lake and some trails on Sunday. Then [Monday] they focused more off-trail and that will continue until dusk when they can't see anymore. They will be back at it again as soon as it is light enough in the morning."

The hours between deep dusk and shallow morning light are few, this time of year, helping the search effort. Vermeulen said the warmer spring weather is also "a positive, both for her and for the searchers."

The search is being led by Vanderhoof RCMP with assistance from Fort St. James Mounties and the Search and Rescue squads from Vanderhoof, Prince George, Burns Lake, and also a swiftwater rescue specialist team to concentrate on the wet side of the shoreline.

There is no indication of foul play, said Vermeulen. "We are involved in a search that we are optimistic will have a positive result." No other clues have so far surfaced.

Scott is described as a Caucasian, five-foot-four, 170 pounds with ginger hair. She was last seen wearing a black T-shirt and blue-jean Capri pants.

"This is totally out of character," he said. "That comes from her family and her friends. They all informed us that she is not out of communication like this, so something is wrong."

The Citizen will be in close contact with searchers for the duration of their efforts.