'He would help anyone for whatever they needed': Missing rancher's family pleads for any information
Ben Tyner's fully saddled horse was discovered by loggers in the backcountry north of Merritt in late January
The family of a rancher who vanished in B.C.'s southern Interior more than two weeks ago is pleading for any information that may help authorities find him.
Ben Tyner, 32, was reported missing after loggers found his riderless horse, still wearing its saddle, just north of Merritt on Jan. 28.
Local RCMP and a dozen search teams combed the snowy backcountry about 80 kilometres south of Kamloops for a week in temperatures as low as –20 C but suspended the effort on Sunday because of the extreme weather.
"He was just big and strong and honest as they come, just a pure soul," said brother Jack Tyner who stood alongside his parents, as they pleaded for anyone with information to come forward.
"He wasn't the kind of guy that would get into trouble or cause any trouble. He would help anybody for whatever they needed. That was the kind of guy my brother was."
Last week, the B.C. RCMP announced its Major Crimes Unit had been dispatched. A statement said there's no evidence to suggest foul play, but that the force wanted to cover all its bases.
Investigators will be re-interviewing witness, following up on tips and leads and potentially conducting more searches based on evidence they gather, said RCMP on Wednesday.
Tyner, who's from Wyoming, works at a cattle ranch in nearby Nicola, B.C., and was last seen there on Jan. 26.
A police spokesperson said a truck and trailer may have transported him to the Swakum Mountain or OK Forest Service Road, and investigators are asking anyone who may have seen the vehicle or Tyner on the weekend of Jan. 26 and 27 to contact the Merritt RCMP detachment.
Members of Tyner's family travelled from the U.S. to the Merritt area to help in the search, after he was reported missing.
On Wednesday, Jack Tyner said he and his parents are leaving B.C. for Wyoming where they own a cattle ranch that needs tending to.
"To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement," said mother Jennifer Tyner. "To think that I will never again see his smile or hear his infectious laugh, never see him realize his dreams, never have him wrap his arms around me again, is unthinkable."
With files from Brady Strachan