With colder temperatures and snowy weather on the way, there is an increasing sense of urgency to find a missing 70-year-old woman from the R.M. of Piney. 

Ywanna (Jean) Backman has been missing since October 15th and a search party of volunteers is combing swampy land today, extending the initial search area. 

Her daughter Vanessa Backman came out from Ontario to help find her mom. Even though Jean has been missing for 10 days, Vanessa has hope of finding her mother alive and well. 

“She’s very smart, she definitely is one who could survive time in the woods,” Vanessa says. “She does have land that she has explored on her own property. Under the circumstances, that does give us hope.” 

Vanessa describes her mom as very independent, strong, and has experience with foraging mushrooms and blueberries, accessing different food sources in nature. 

This past weekend from October 20th to 23rd, RCMP units including Search and Rescue (SAR), Police Dog Services (PDS), Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), along with the Office of the Fire Commissioner, the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA), volunteers from Winnipeg Search and Rescue as well as residents from the surrounding area, conducted an extensive ground search.   

Vanessa says RCMP continue their investigation, and the only thing she knows is that her mother is still missing. 

The forecast is calling for much colder weather along with snow and rain for the next few days which is cause for concern, increasing the urgency of finding the woman before stormy weather sets in. 

“At 5am (today), the temperature dropped. I stayed up through the night making sure there were loud sounds that carried through the night, in hopes that the sound could carry and if she was walking that it could give her a sense of direction to follow,” Vanessa says. 

Approximately 15 people have joined the search today. She is encouraging people to check ditches around their homes as well as their own properties and outbuildings. 

If anyone would like to join the search, contact Vanessa by texting 705-773-2226 or phoning 204-437-2142 and leave a message. 

If anyone has any information on the disappearance of Jean Backman or her whereabouts, contact RCMP. 

If you’ve seen her or have any information on her whereabouts, please call Sprague RCMP at 204-437-2041, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 or submit a secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com. 

-With files from Kenton Dyck

 

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