Family still searching for missing man
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/08/2022 (1144 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A British Columbia man who went missing in Brandon was last seen hitchhiking westward on the Trans-Canada Highway, his brother told the Sun Thursday.
Keith Zajac of Squamish, B.C., was reported missing by the Blue Hills RCMP on Aug. 5 after disappearing on his way to Fort Francis, Ont.
Police reported the 55-year-old’s white 2009 Pontiac Vibe was found abandoned just off the Trans-Canada Highway near the turnoff to Grand Valley Road on Aug. 5. It is believed he spent the night at the Super 8 Motel in Brandon on July 31.
Friends and family are still looking for 55-year-old Keith Zajac of Squamish, B.C., after he was reported missing in Brandon earlier this month. His brother Jeff told the Sun Thursday that Zajac was not found by search teams combing the area around the western edge of Grand Valley Road, but he appreciates the assistance provided by locals. (Submitted)
According to his brother, Jeff Zajac, the car was located near the Grand Valley Campground. That location is close to where the vehicle driven by Jordan Ross, a co-owner of the campground, was found abandoned after he went missing earlier this summer.
The Sun originally contacted Jeff’s wife Pam for an update. She said Jeff was on the ground in Brandon helping with the search.
Keith Zajac was on his way to Ontario for a fishing trip with Jeff and their uncle. After he went missing, Jeff and his uncle came to Brandon and spent a week in the Wheat City.
The last time Jeff spoke with his brother was on July 30, when Zajac called him to ask him to stop leaving messages because he was having phone issues.
“He might be a rough guy when you look at him, but he’s really family-oriented,” Jeff said. “He doesn’t have any of his own kids, but on the West Coast there, he was a father figure to several kids and they all love him dearly.”
Zajac’s phone was not found following a search of his car, Jeff said. Tracking its location via GPS showed it travelling around Brandon. However, he said the phone was later turned in to police by someone who had taken it from the car.
The Sun contacted the RCMP to confirm this detail, but a spokesperson directed inquiries about the cellphone to the Brandon Police Service. A spokesperson for BPS said they are only assisting on the case and could not release information without permission from the RCMP’s lead investigator.
However, the RCMP did report that they believe Zajac could be travelling either east or west and have alerted police agencies in neighbouring provinces to be on the lookout.
Additionally, Jeff said he reached out to the Manitoba Trucking Association, and they’ve agreed to distribute information about his brother to their members.
In searching the area close to the location of the abandoned car, one of the approximately 80 searchers found a coat near the Assiniboine River that Jeff identified as belonging to his brother. Searchers used boats to scour the river as well.
“The ground search really wrapped up [last] Friday,” Jeff said. “They had been out beating the bush for three long days. They had extremely detailed maps, they had drones with thermal cameras, guys on ATVs, a set of dogs; this was an all-out search.”
Jeff said he believes his brother still has his wallet since it was not found in the car, by searchers or in the possession of the people who turned in the phone.
While he’s not sure what has happened to Zajac, Jeff said his brother might be going through some kind of medical emergency.
They’ve now returned to Ontario and Jeff said he wants to express his appreciation for the help he received from people in Brandon.
“These guys gave up their time for me,” he said. “They don’t even know me, they don’t know my brother, and I really appreciate it. I told the truckers’ association today … ‘If you’re going to get lost, Brandon in Manitoba is the place to do it because everyone has been so [expletive] good to me.’”
The family launched a GoFundMe campaign to support the cost of hiring a private detective to look for Zajac. That detective is arrived in Brandon, Jeff said.
As of Thursday afternoon, the fundraiser had received more than $7,700 in donations toward the $10,000 goal.
If anyone has any information about Zajac, who is described as five-foot-10 with blonde hair and blue eyes, they are encouraged to contact the RCMP.
» cslark@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @ColinSlark