On May 28, seven years will have passed since the mysterious disappearance of Madison Scott from Hogsback Lake.
Per a news release issued by the North District RCMP, the longstanding investigation remains active and seeking assistance from the public.
“We know someone out there knows something about the disappearance. We are asking any individual who has information about Maddy’s disappearance to contact the police or Crimestoppers,” said Cpl. Tom Wamsteeker of the North District Major Crime Unit.
On Friday, May 27, 2011, a then 20-year-old Madison Scott drove her white, 1990 Ford F150 pick-up truck down Blackwater Road to attend a party at Hogsback Lake, a Forest Service Campsite that is located approximately 25 kilometres south of Vanderhoof.
Leaving with the intention of camping at Hogsback Lake overnight, Scott ventured down with a friend to attend the party, which was put on to celebrate a birthday. Approximately 50 individuals filled the clearing that night, with most of the party-goers being from around the Vanderhoof area.
Despite a couple of older outliers, the vast majority of those who attended the party were all around Scott’s age, generally around 18-to-25 years of age.
Although details regarding what exactly happened during the party remain unclear, numerous accounts state that the party rolled on well into the early hours of May 28.
The last reported appearance of Scott was around 3 am that same morning.
As the sun came up the next morning, a group of partiers from the previous evening returned to Hogsback Lake to clean up. They report seeing Scott’s tent and the aforementioned white pick-up truck, but they did not check to see whether Scott was inside.
They reported that there were no other campers or tents set up in the area at the time.
The night of May 28, an even bigger party was happening in the same clearing beside Hogsback Lake, with as many as 150 people attending. The tent and the truck remained in the middle of the campsite, yet no one reports seeing Scott.
On Sunday, May 29, when not one of Scott’s friends reported seeing her since the party and no word from Scott herself, Scott’s parents made the same trip down Blackwater Road towards Hogsback Lake after numerous, unanswered phone-calls.
Upon arriving to the campsite, Scott’s parents found their daughter’s now flattened tent, the 1990 Ford F150 which contained Scott’s purse.
However, there was no sign of Scott and her cellphone.
It’s been seven years since the Scotts first phoned the RCMP regarding the disappearance of their daughter, Madison. As the RCMP states that the investigation remains active, Scott’s family, friends and the local community have raised and continued to maintain the much needed awareness around Scott’s disappearance.
To coincide with the weekend of Scott’s disappearance seven years ago, the annual Madison Scott Poker Ride took place on Saturday, May 26 at Mapes Community Hall near Hogsback Lake.
Family, friends and concerned residents braved the cold and rainy conditions to walk, ride their ATVs or travel on horseback down Blackwater Road and the surrounding area around Hogsback Lake to further the search and continue to build the ever important awareness around Scott’s disappearance.
The RCMP asks anyone who has information regarding Madison Scott’s disappearance to call the Vanderhoof RCMP at (250) 567-2222. If you wish to remain anonymous, please call Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
