The McPhee family is glad to be reunited, and grateful to many people who dropped their normal activities to help in the search for Amanda (Mandy) McPhee last week.
Father Mike McPhee told The Times Monday that the news that his daughter had been found, safe and sound, was “unbelievable” when he first heard it. He had been searching in the Alouette Lake area at the time and was unable to be contacted by cell phone.
“It was the same when she went missing, I was in the Shuswap with no cell phone (the previous Sunday).”
Mike McPhee said the support from the RCMP, Search and Rescue, the IHIT team, the Langley Christian School community, neighbours and people that the family didn’t even know was amazing. The McPhees thank those who helped in a letter on this website.
Mike McPhee was impressed by the power of social media, in getting people to look out for Mandy.
“I follow media closely, and it’s unbelievable the power of social media. I know how Facebook works, and I’m your basic business guy who uses e-mail, but social media has so much power.”
Mandy also used social media to issue an apology and explanation. She posted a video on YouTube, which had been removed by Tuesday morning.
In the video, she stated that she spent much of her time in Vancouver, riding on buses, and stayed overnight in the woods on Mount Seymour. On Friday, she rode the bus to Langley and saw all the posters about her disappearance “and how much effort had been made to find me.
“I can’t express how sorry I am. It was a huge mistake. I love my parents, and this past week I put them though hell. Thank you for not giving up on me.”
Quoiting from the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, she said “Life moves pretty fast, but you can’t run away from your troubles.”
