Field by field, searchers near Arborg seek clues to missing man
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/06/2018 (2387 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
ARBORG — Police and volunteers scoured fields south of Arborg on Thursday in the ongoing search for Eduardo Balaquit, while his family went door-to-door in the small community, handing out missing person fliers.
Several Winnipeg Police Service officers, along with a dozen volunteers, established a search headquarters a few kilometres south of town, near the community of Silver. Search crews were then dispatched throughout the day to look for any clues regarding the Winnipeg man who’s been missing for more than a week.
“We’re acting on information provided to us by the homicide unit. They’ve identified this as an area of interest. We have a number of segments (of the search area) we want to cross off our list today,” said Randy Antonio, the WPS sergeant coordinating ground search efforts.
Eduardo Balaquit, 59, disappeared after heading to work on the 300 block of Keewatin Street in Winnipeg on June 4. The next day, his van was found abandoned in a secluded parking lot, with a window smashed, his belongings scattered on the ground and his cell phone inside.
The WPS homicide unit quickly took over the investigation from the missing person unit and, on Wednesday, police announced they’d expanded their search efforts to Arborg, located 110 kilometres north of Winnipeg.
Police managed to cover 75 per cent of the search area they were eyeing Wednesday and expected to finish up the remaining 25 per cent Thursday, Antonio said. While police wouldn’t say how large that search area was, Antonio classified it as “significant,” saying volunteers were looking in fields and ditches for anything amiss.
“We’re looking for a reason to focus on a specific area. It could be footprints in the mud. A dropped article of clothing. Drag marks, scuff marks, tire tracks going off where they shouldn’t be or generally aren’t,” Antonio said.
“We have very good results from doing these types of searches. That’s the hallmark of these. Find the evidence, find a clue, then start tossing more resources at it.”
Since they’re taking direction from the homicide unit, Antonio said he wasn’t sure whether they’d be searching again Friday.
The search on Thursday included three K-9 units — both live and cadaver specialists.
During the afternoon, one K-9 unit, accompanied by an officer of the Fire Commissioner’s Office, could be seen searching a field southeast of town, working its way along bush and trees.
Meanwhile, Edward Balaquit, 31, one of Eduardo’s two sons, made his way through town, knocking on doors, talking to residents and handing out posters emblazoned with his father’s face.
“We’ve just been out talking to the community and the people. It seems like it’s a close community that’s quick to help. I feel like if we needed them to, everyone would just open up their doors and walk out and help us,” Edward said.
When asked how his family was holding up during this difficult time, Edward paused for a second, before saying they hope they’re getting near to learning what happened to the husband and father.
“It feels like we’re getting closer. I don’t know how much closer, but for my family it just means we’re another day closer to having him home, whereas before we weren’t sure whether it was one step forward or two steps back,” Edward said.
In restaurants and shops in town, various rumours spread throughout the day, and local residents could be overheard discussing the search efforts that have come as a surprise to the normally quiet community.
One rumour — that police had discovered a body — passed through town Wednesday and Thursday, eventually making its way to both Edward and his family, as well as the Free Press.
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While that rumour promised closure for the Balaquit family, it isn’t the closure they are looking for. After hearing it, Edward quickly phoned police, who assured him it was false.
“We did hear that and we did talk to police about it. They said, ‘Don’t believe rumours. We’re still out looking. We wouldn’t be out looking if we already found him,'” Edward said.
“So now we’re waiting. Any tips that we get, we’re trying to follow up on everything. We’re trying to talk to as many people as we can, to raise awareness. But mostly we’re just waiting for a call from police.”
ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @rk_thorpe
Ryan Thorpe
Reporter
Ryan Thorpe likes the pace of daily news, the feeling of a broadsheet in his hands and the stress of never-ending deadlines hanging over his head.
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