'We want to find Ardeth'
Search for woman missing since Wednesday continues around the clock
Adam Grachnik
The Ottawa Citizen
Sunday, August 10, 2003
Four days of combing the forests, searching the waters and knocking on doors has turned up nothing as the massive search for Ardeth Wood, the 27-year-old student missing since Wednesday, continues.
"We haven't found anything at all," Ottawa police Sgt. Monique Ackland said yesterday.
A military helicopter spent a second day aiding in the search for Ms. Wood, which police say will continue around the clock.
"We've not discussed how long our search will go," Sgt. Ackland said. "We want to find Ardeth. Our goal is to find her."
The search for Ms. Wood is one of the region's biggest in recent years and now covers a 36-square-kilometre area.
Ottawa police major crimes unit crimes is investigating some of the 35 tips, which includes possible sightings.
Ms. Wood's brother, Crispin, 24, said the focus of yesterday's search was in the water.
"If she has disappeared because of the storm, she may have been swept into the water," Crispin Wood said.
The family, devout Roman Catholics, were told yesterday that the Pope is praying for them. Ms. Wood's uncle is a priest in Vancouver with a close friend in the Vatican. That friend personally passed a message to the Pope.
Fighting back tears, Ms. Wood's youngest brother Colum, 23, shared the news.
Ms. Wood, a doctoral student at the University of Waterloo, went for a bike ride at about noon Wednesday. She told her mother, Catherine, that she'd be home in 90 minutes so that the two of them could go shopping. That's the last her family saw of her.
It's believed the former Carleton University student was cycling from her home in Orléans toward the Aviation Parkway Wednesday, when a sudden rain storm hit Ottawa. She was riding a black Peugeot hybrid bicycle.
Seven of Ms. Wood's friends from the University of Waterloo are now in Ottawa helping in the hunt.
They join hundreds of volunteers, Ottawa police, OPP, RCMP, NCC and members of Search and Rescue Global 1, a volunteer search team in the capital region.
Ms. Wood's close friend Krystan Pawlikowski studies in the same program as her. He described the 27-year-old as "the best person."
He added that she jogged every day and biked several times a week.
Colum Wood visited her only three weeks ago in Waterloo and met many of her friends. He said she was driven in her studies and loved to read.
A joint team of the Ottawa police and Search and Rescue Global 1, allowed the Citizen to join in their portion of a forest sweep.
Wedged in between the Ottawa River Pathway and the Aviation Parkway, the team lined up eight across, four-metres, trekking through thick forest. They swept with their feet and clawed forward with their hands.
Every six metres, Const. Todd Campbell, would tie a marker to a tree, to signify that the land had been covered.
They moved quickly, turning over dead trees and checking under or beside anything they encountered.
Nothing turned up.
Volunteer numbers rose to 160 yesterday, with cars streaming into the parking lot of the Canadian Aviation Museum, where the command centre has been set up.
The volunteers were asked to canvass residential neighbourhoods, leaving the searching to the assembled authorities.
While some had connections to the family, many had never met the Woods before.
Carol Surprenant put a camping trip on hold with his three-year-old-twin boys, wife and four-year-old daughter.
"We can go another time. Nobody likes to hear about this. I just want to help," Mr. Surprenant, a former member of the Canadian Forces explained.
"It's just a morning of your time."
Before the teams of volunteers departed, Ottawa police Const. Doug Edgar would instruct them to gain as much information as possible from people, without being intrusive.
Teams were given a map and a team leader was elected to divide up the territory.
Annie Legault and her boyfriend Mario Lamoureux didn't know the family, but came in the morning to help.
"I used to bike and rollerblade there all the time," said Ms. Legault, who works at the Aviation Museum.
"If my brother went missing I would want people to go help find him," Mr. Lamoureux added.
As the groups returned several hours later, most put their names back on the list to go on a second run.
Mr. Surprenant was one of them. He said he didn't receive any new information while knocking on doors in Beacon Hill, but said he would continue, again delaying his camping trip.
Father Charles Van Vliet, from St. Clement's Church, where a prayer vigil was held Friday, was holding a copy of Stories of Padre Pio, as he spoke with Ms. Wood's mother Catherine, in the shadow of a helicopter lifting off.
Padre Pio was an Italian priest who dealt with people to heal their bodies, souls and hearts, through miracles and remarkable answers to prayers.
Ms. Wood has blond hair, blue eyes, weighs about 130 pounds, and is five-feet six-inches tall. She was last seen wearing black shorts and a white shirt. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 236-1222, ext. 3563 or 3564.
Note: Due to the ongoing search, the Rockcliffe Parkway near the the Aviation Museum will be closed to cylists from 6 a.m to noon.
© Copyright 2003 The Ottawa Citizen
Search for woman missing since Wednesday continues around the clock
Adam Grachnik
The Ottawa Citizen
Sunday, August 10, 2003
Four days of combing the forests, searching the waters and knocking on doors has turned up nothing as the massive search for Ardeth Wood, the 27-year-old student missing since Wednesday, continues.
"We haven't found anything at all," Ottawa police Sgt. Monique Ackland said yesterday.
A military helicopter spent a second day aiding in the search for Ms. Wood, which police say will continue around the clock.
"We've not discussed how long our search will go," Sgt. Ackland said. "We want to find Ardeth. Our goal is to find her."
The search for Ms. Wood is one of the region's biggest in recent years and now covers a 36-square-kilometre area.
Ottawa police major crimes unit crimes is investigating some of the 35 tips, which includes possible sightings.
Ms. Wood's brother, Crispin, 24, said the focus of yesterday's search was in the water.
"If she has disappeared because of the storm, she may have been swept into the water," Crispin Wood said.
The family, devout Roman Catholics, were told yesterday that the Pope is praying for them. Ms. Wood's uncle is a priest in Vancouver with a close friend in the Vatican. That friend personally passed a message to the Pope.
Fighting back tears, Ms. Wood's youngest brother Colum, 23, shared the news.
Ms. Wood, a doctoral student at the University of Waterloo, went for a bike ride at about noon Wednesday. She told her mother, Catherine, that she'd be home in 90 minutes so that the two of them could go shopping. That's the last her family saw of her.
It's believed the former Carleton University student was cycling from her home in Orléans toward the Aviation Parkway Wednesday, when a sudden rain storm hit Ottawa. She was riding a black Peugeot hybrid bicycle.
Seven of Ms. Wood's friends from the University of Waterloo are now in Ottawa helping in the hunt.
They join hundreds of volunteers, Ottawa police, OPP, RCMP, NCC and members of Search and Rescue Global 1, a volunteer search team in the capital region.
Ms. Wood's close friend Krystan Pawlikowski studies in the same program as her. He described the 27-year-old as "the best person."
He added that she jogged every day and biked several times a week.
Colum Wood visited her only three weeks ago in Waterloo and met many of her friends. He said she was driven in her studies and loved to read.
A joint team of the Ottawa police and Search and Rescue Global 1, allowed the Citizen to join in their portion of a forest sweep.
Wedged in between the Ottawa River Pathway and the Aviation Parkway, the team lined up eight across, four-metres, trekking through thick forest. They swept with their feet and clawed forward with their hands.
Every six metres, Const. Todd Campbell, would tie a marker to a tree, to signify that the land had been covered.
They moved quickly, turning over dead trees and checking under or beside anything they encountered.
Nothing turned up.
Volunteer numbers rose to 160 yesterday, with cars streaming into the parking lot of the Canadian Aviation Museum, where the command centre has been set up.
The volunteers were asked to canvass residential neighbourhoods, leaving the searching to the assembled authorities.
While some had connections to the family, many had never met the Woods before.
Carol Surprenant put a camping trip on hold with his three-year-old-twin boys, wife and four-year-old daughter.
"We can go another time. Nobody likes to hear about this. I just want to help," Mr. Surprenant, a former member of the Canadian Forces explained.
"It's just a morning of your time."
Before the teams of volunteers departed, Ottawa police Const. Doug Edgar would instruct them to gain as much information as possible from people, without being intrusive.
Teams were given a map and a team leader was elected to divide up the territory.
Annie Legault and her boyfriend Mario Lamoureux didn't know the family, but came in the morning to help.
"I used to bike and rollerblade there all the time," said Ms. Legault, who works at the Aviation Museum.
"If my brother went missing I would want people to go help find him," Mr. Lamoureux added.
As the groups returned several hours later, most put their names back on the list to go on a second run.
Mr. Surprenant was one of them. He said he didn't receive any new information while knocking on doors in Beacon Hill, but said he would continue, again delaying his camping trip.
Father Charles Van Vliet, from St. Clement's Church, where a prayer vigil was held Friday, was holding a copy of Stories of Padre Pio, as he spoke with Ms. Wood's mother Catherine, in the shadow of a helicopter lifting off.
Padre Pio was an Italian priest who dealt with people to heal their bodies, souls and hearts, through miracles and remarkable answers to prayers.
Ms. Wood has blond hair, blue eyes, weighs about 130 pounds, and is five-feet six-inches tall. She was last seen wearing black shorts and a white shirt. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 236-1222, ext. 3563 or 3564.
Note: Due to the ongoing search, the Rockcliffe Parkway near the the Aviation Museum will be closed to cylists from 6 a.m to noon.
© Copyright 2003 The Ottawa Citizen
