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wo young men are missing after their truck was found in flames and near a dead body south of Dease Lake last week.
RCMP are searching for 19-year-old Kam McLeod and 18-year-old Bryer Schmegelsky, both from Port Alberni.
They have lost contact with family and were driving the pickup truck found 50 kilometres south of Dease Lake near the Stikine River on Friday (July 19).
"Kam and Bryer have periodically connected with family and friends over the past week and it is possible that they are now in area without cell coverage,” RCMP spokesperson Dawn Roberts said in a news release on Sunday (July 21).
"We are asking for Kam or Bryer to connect with police right away and let us know you are okay. Or we ask that anyone who may have spoken to or seen them over the last few days to call police so we can get a better understanding as to where they might be or their plans."
The men were travelling to the Whitehorse to look for work. It’s not clear why they returned to B.C., police said.
They were travelling in a red and grey Dodge pickup truck with a sleeping camper, and were last seen travelling south from the Super A general store in Dease Lake at Thursday, July 18, around 3:15 p.m.
Police say it’s unclear whether their disappearance is related to the body discovered near their truck the same day. Police are still working to identify the body, and said it does not belong to either of the men.
Both men are six-foot-four and weigh 169 pounds; McLeod has dark brown hair and facial hair, and brown eyes. Schmegelsky has sandy brown hair.
The incident happened 470 kilometres away from the ongoing investigation into the killings of two young travellers on the Alaska Highway near Liard Hot Springs July 14 and 15.
RCMP say they acknowledge “growing community concerns about the ongoing homicide investigations in northern B.C.”
People should take safety precautions and be vigilant, police said, and reminded travellers to share plans with friends and family, establish check-in times, and notify people if plans change.
Anyone with information is asked to call Dease Lake RCMP at 250-771-4111, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
