Searchers looked unsuccessfully for a man missing since Shambhala but they will be back at it again today and tomorrow if necessary.
In a Facebook post, South Columbia Search and Rescue said 28 members from their organization along with Rossland and Castlegar spent almost 10 hours looking for Harsha Paladugu, 30, who has not been seen since July 30.
“Unfortunately we we unable to locate Harsha but we did find a significant amount of information and clues that helped up determine his timeline, locations he appeared on video or sightings,” they wrote. “This gave us a good lead on his direction of travel.”
An RCMP helicopter will fly over the Salmo River this morning to search some difficult areas. If that fails to find him, an even bigger search is planned tomorrow.
Police say Paladugu was supposed to visit a friend in Toronto after Shambhala but never arrived. Investigators have determined that he flew from California to Vancouver on July 20 and stayed with a friend, then left the next morning to attend Shambhala through a ride share.
There was a report that he was seen on July 27 sitting at the junction of Highways 3 and 6 beside a suitcase. The suitcase, which has been turned over to police, has been determined to belong to Paladugu.
Police say there were also reports of a man running through yards in Salmo that evening. They believe it was Paladugu, but that hasn’t been confirmed.
He’s five-foot-ten, 200 pounds, with black hair.
