An emaciated and injured dog found in a remote area of British Columbia is being hailed as a vital clue in the search for a Canadian hiker.
The red golden retriever turned up six weeks after Jim Barnes and his dog Murphy disappeared in mid-October.
Barnes’ truck was found on a forest service road near the town of Chetwynd, in the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the day after his partner Micaela Sawyer reported them missing. However, a major search of the area in north-eastern British Columbia found no other evidence of the hiker and the dog.
Then, a week ago, another hiker posted a photo of a dog, similar in description to Murphy, on social media after making the discovery in snow some 75 miles from the truck. The dog was alive but in a poor state, with puncture wounds, a broken front paw and scabs across its body.
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Yet, despite Sawyer being convinced the dog, which she has now taken home, is Murphy, it's reported that police are calling for proof if they are to resume a search for Barnes.
The dog wasn’t microchipped or tattooed so proper identification has not been possible. A DNA test could be key, but this will take time.
There is now a growing appeal for the public to sign a petition calling for renewed efforts to search for Barnes.
Barnes, a paramedic, is said to be an experienced outdoors enthusiast who had planned a short trip on October 18 to collect firewood and hunt for grouse. Despite it being a remote area of British Columbia, he was a frequent visitor for hunting and fishing. He was due to be at work the day after.
One explanation for his disappearance is a sudden change in weather. Just after Barnes’s truck was found, heavy snow started to fall. There was also evidence of grizzly bears and wolves nearby, but no obvious evidence of a predatory attack was reported.
The search mission included rescue teams on the ground and in a helicopter.
After the dog's discovery, Sawyer wrote: “Finding Murphy alive gives us hope that we might finally get answers about what happened to Jim.”
