The search for a missing snowmobiler is being focused on Boulder Mountain, where Travis Allen Brown was last seen on Saturday.
The area remains closed to snowmobilers while Revelstoke Search & Rescue searches the area for the missing 42-year-old from Drayton Valley Alberta.
Frisby Ridge has re-opened to the public after being closed for 1/5 days during the search, RCMP announced Wednesday shortly after noon.
Staff-Sgt. Kurt Grabinsky told the Review that a man matching Brown’s description was seen in the area of the Boulder Mountain cabin at around 3 p.m. on Saturday. Police don’t know where he went from there.
PHOTO: Travis Allen Brown. Photo contributed by the RCMP.
Brown was reported missing Monday morning after he failed to return to his home in Drayton Valley following a solo snowmobiling trip to Revelstoke on the weekend.
Members of Revelstoke and Golden Search & Rescue have been searching Boulder Mountain and Frisby Ridge for signs of Brown since Monday morning.
On Tuesday both areas were closed to snowmobilers to prevent interference while SAR searched for Brown’s transceiver.
SAR has staged at two helicopter hangars off Westside Road, and flew numerous flights over the mountains throughout the day. Meanwhile, a ground team went out on their snowmobiles.
Police say Brown left his home early Saturday morning to go sledding in Revelstoke. He called his family at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday to say he was heading up the mountain by himself. His family attempted to contact him that day at around 3:30 p.m., but the call went straight to voicemail.
On Sunday, Brown’s vehicle was found in the Boulder Mountain Parking Lot. When his car was still there on Monday, Revelstoke RCMP got in contact with Brown’s family and found out they hadn’t heard him from all weekend, said Cpl. Thomas Blakney.
At that point he was reported missing and a search was launched.
Brown is described as a 42-year-old white male, 185 centimetres tall, weighing 77 kilograms, with blond hair and brown eyes. He was believed to be wearing a bright green Helly Hansen snowmobile outfit with a green leaf pattern on the jacket. He would have been wearing a motocross-style helmet, with green camo goggles and riding a red and white 2014 Polaris RMK.
Saturday was a stormy day in Revelstoke, with poor visibility and deep snow reported in the mountains. The avalanche danger for the area was rated as considerable at all elevations by Avalanche Canada.
The search has been hampered by thick clouds and lots of precipitation in the form of rain at lower elevations and snow higher up.
Anyone with information on Brown’s whereabouts is asked to contact the RCMP at 250-837-5255 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
