Mother Of Missing Woman Believes She’s Still Alive As Week-Long Search Continues
Posted August 12, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Christina Calayca may have been missing in the northern Ontario brush for seven days, but the Toronto woman’s mother says she has every reason to believe her daughter is still alive.
On Sunday, a week after Calayca disappeared while running in Rainbow Falls Provincial park, the frantic search for the 20-year-old continued, aided by dozens of volunteers and several of her family members.
“She’s there I feel it,” said her mother, Elizabeth Rutledge. “She is alive, she is just waiting and she’s just resting.”
She’s hoping many citizens of the community north of Thunder Bay who known the rugged terrain can help locate her daughter, something helicopters and official search crews have yet to do.
“We all worry, we don’t like to see anybody, especially a woman 20 years old out in the bush lost,” said Pat Halonen, civilian search organizer.
“I know if it was my child I’d feel blessed to have all these people out here helping,” added volunteer Debbie Tremblay.
Christina’s mom got a helicopter tour of the area over the weekend, and many of her family are helping make sure no stone goes unturned.
Missing posters are also up all over the camp site she vanished from and in the neighbouring towns. And police have increased their effort. The underwater unit has now joined the search and will scan local waters for any sign of the woman.
As for Christina’s father, he wanted to be part of the search, but by the time he found out about it, it was too late to make the 14-hour drive north. Together with Rutledge, the couple remains very hopeful for a safe return.
“I’m not afraid because I can see that she was taking care,” Calayca’s mother added.
“God is there with her.”
Christina’s family and friends will be holding a prayer vigil Wednesday night in Scarborough, for the details, click here.
