Based on coverage from CBC, Global News, and CityNews Halifax.
The six-day search for an Australian woman believed to have gone missing while hiking in Cape Breton Highlands National Park has been suspended, according to the RCMP.
Denise Ann Williams, 62, was reported missing on April 28. Police say she was last heard from earlier in the month, on April 15, when she indicated she was travelling to Chéticamp, Nova Scotia. Her rental car was later found parked at the Parks Canada visitor centre near the Acadian Trail head.
Cape Breton Highlands search suspended Sunday
The RCMP said the decision to suspend the search came after “six days of exhaustive air and ground efforts” in extremely difficult terrain, with no new information turning up to guide further searching. The stand-down happened Sunday, and police say no further search activity is planned “at this time.”
Chris Bellemore, president of Cheticamp Search and Rescue, told CBC that RCMP directed emergency workers and volunteers to stand down. More than 100 people took part over the course of the effort, he said.
Denise Ann Williams last heard from April 15
Police describe Williams as five feet four inches tall with greyish-blond, shoulder-length hair. The RCMP believe she was wearing a dark winter jacket, a powder blue tuque with “Antarctica” written on it, an orange and blue scarf, and glasses.
RCMP say Williams had not been heard from since April 15. They also say her rental vehicle, a Nissan Sentra, was found at the Parks Canada visitor centre parking lot near the trailhead for the Acadian Trail.
Parks Canada lists the Acadian Trail as an 8.4-kilometre loop rated “moderate,” but that label can hide a lot, especially in Cape Breton’s shoulder season when conditions can swing quickly.
Rugged Nova Scotia terrain slowed ground crews
Bellemore described the search area as some of the most challenging terrain in the province, with crews often working off-trail in valleys and ravines and pushing through dense forest. He said windfalls and thick regrowth can make it hard to see the ground, adding to the strain and slowing the search.
He also pointed to steep climbs, boggy and wet sections, and even lingering snow in north-facing forested areas. For anyone who hikes in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, that’s a familiar mix: beautiful, remote, and unforgiving if something goes wrong.
Bellemore said search and rescue officials aren’t allowed to release details about what may or may not have been found during the effort.
Multi-agency response included air and dogs
The RCMP said multiple agencies were involved, including Department of Natural Resources air services, RCMP police dog services, ground search and rescue teams, Parks Canada, Nova Scotia Public Safety Field Communications, EHS emergency preparedness and special operations, and the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association.
That kind of response is typical when there’s a chance someone is lost in backcountry terrain, where covering ground quickly can mean combining air sweeps, canine teams, and coordinated grid searches on foot.
RCMP still asking public for tips
Even with the active search suspended, the RCMP are still asking anyone who may have seen Williams in or around Cape Breton Highlands National Park to come forward.
Tips can be provided to Inverness County District RCMP at 902-258-2213. Anonymous information can be shared through Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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