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Search continues for missing West Kelowna man

Lawrence Hamilton, 72, was last seen March 25

The RCMP say they continuing their investigation into the disappearance of a 72-year-old West Kelowna man missing since March 25.

Lawrence Hamilton is the subject of a search by dozens of volunteers from search and rescue groups from across the Okanagan, all of whom have converged on West Kelowna to look for him.

RCMP Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey said a combined total of nearly 30 volunteers from the Central Okanagan Search And Rescue, Vernon Search And Rescue and Penticton Search And Rescue have deployed teams throughout West Kelowna. A search team from Kamloops was expected to arrive Thursday and utilize a drone for an air search.

Members of the public can expect to see search and rescue volunteers actively searching through West Kelowna neighbourhoods and into some rural areas.

RCMP have used both police service dogs and All-Terrain Vehicles to conduct ground searches in both the urban and rural areas of West Kelowna. RCMP Air Services along with a search and rescue aircraft have also supported the search from above.

Hamilton was last spotted on video surveillance as he departed the Lakeview Lodge residential care home, as a visitor to the facility, at approximately 3 p.m. on Sunday March 25, 2018. Police have been unable to pin point a direction of travel for Lawrence after he left that location.

“As a result, RCMP are asking all West Kelowna residents and area businesses to review any video surveillance footage they may have from 3 p.m. on, on the date of Lawrence’s disappearance,” said O’Donaghey, spokesperson for the Kelowna Regional RCMP. “Police and search volunteers are interested in viewing any images which may assist in determining his last known location and or a direction of travel.”

“Police would also like to ask members of the public to search their properties for any sign of Hamilton,” added O’Donaghey. “We ask that the public bear in mind that Mr. Hamilton is an avid walker and he’s been known in the past to travel distances upwards of 70-kilometres in a single day.”

Hamilton is described as a 72-year-old Caucasian male, approximately six feet tall, 177 pounds, with grey hair dyed brown and hazel eyes. He was last seen wearing a dark blue puffy jacket, a pair of blue jeans, a lime green golf shirt, with a blue and green scarf, a pair of black gloves and a pair of beige shoes.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts is urged to contact their local police, or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, leaving a tip online at www.crimestoppers.net or by texting your tip to CRIMES (274637) ktown.

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