An elderly outdoorsman from the Prince George area is still missing, and with the onset of winter, the lack of contact is gravely concerning for searchers.
Dietmar Joseph Faeth, 73, was last seen in mid-October. He was scheduled to fly out of Prince George on a prepaid flight on Nov. 6 but missed the flight. Then, nine days later, police got a call from someone who had seen a distinctive van in the bush that hadn't moved for some time. It was Faeth's.
"There doesn't appear to be any signs of foul play, but it is very concerning," said Prince George RCMP spokesman Cpl. Craig Douglass. "It is not suspicious but it is mysterious. It was found in the Prince George detachment area, on a rural part of North Fraser Forest Service Road, northeast of the city. It was intact. It was locked. It was stuck and it looked like he made attempts to free it."
What happened to him is not at all clear. The weather was turning cold the first staying snowfall of the winter happened during the search. It was in an area commonly inhabited by wildlife. The bush was dense, the Fraser River was nearby, the factors are many that prevent a definitive conclusion.
The first search was conducted around the newly found vehicle on Nov. 16. It involved Prince George Search and Rescue, members of the RCMP's Forensic Identification Unit, a police dog unit, and after the main surrounding area was covered the searchers expanded it to a larger area.
The dog unit was back out again on Nov. 23 and covered the area once more. Police are not ready to simply close the file.
"He liked to mushroom-pick, he fishes, he does know that area quite well and likes to go there," said Douglass. "We are considering it an active missing persons file. He was not known as a very social person, but for him to miss his flight like that is very strange."
A friend of Faeth's told The Citizen that he was missed.
"He wasn't a hermit, but you could tell he enjoyed being in the bush, he was a loner, and liked being outdoors," said the friend. "I found him fascinating. He was very interesting and very interested in what others were doing."
Faeth is known to live and travel in his orange 1977 Dodge motor home (license plate 829 HXR), the one found stuck on the bush road.
He is described as a Caucasian male who is five-feet-seven-inches tall, weighs 200 pounds and has hazel eyes and grey hair.
If anyone can help determine Faeth's activities during that time, please call Prince George RCMP at 250-561-3300 or anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS / www.pgcrimestoppers.bc.ca.
