Caitlin Potts was last heard from five years ago, but search efforts continue.
A call for help from foresters, hunters, hikers or anyone with outdoor experience was published June 13 in the Okanagan Forest Task Force Facebook group.
Organizer Victoria Love said she’s planning a search to take place Aug. 9-20.
“This search will be for her remains,” Love wrote. “We need some volunteers and extra manpower outside of the search and rescue team.”
A group called the Search for Caitlin Potts was established to better coordinate efforts. Those interested in helping can join the conversation on Facebook.
Love also organized a GoFundMe campaign on behalf of Caitlin’s mother, Priscilla. This has since raised more than $7,000 of its $10,000 goal. Funds raised are to cover the costs of hiring a private investigator.
For the past five years, the Samson Cree First Nation mother’s family has continued to look for answers.
Potts was last seen by a witness in Enderby on Feb. 22, 2016, and a missing person’s report was filed with police on March 1.
The BC RCMP Southeast District said in a statement issued Feb. 23, 2021, investigators believed criminality was involved in the then 27-year-old’s disappearance as the investigation progressed. This led to the involvement of their detachment.
In April 2017, surveillance footage of Potts was released, showing her entering Hudson’s Bay at the Orchard Park Shopping Centre in Kelowna. The clip was from Feb. 21, 2016.
“Although Caitlin has not been found yet, the Southeast District Major Crime Unit remains committed to finding out what has happened to Caitlin so that we can provide answers to her friends, family and loved ones,” said BC RCMP Major Crime Section operations officer Supt. Sanjaya Wijayakoon.
BC RCMP said officers continue to look for new leads and information. Anyone with any information on this case is asked to contact the Southeast District Major Crime Unit information line at 1-877-987-8477. If you wish to stay anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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