Mother offers $5,000 to help find missing Ryan Shtuka
20-year-old was last seen Feb. 17 at a party at Sun Peaks Resort
The mother of a missing Alberta man is offering a reward for any information that will lead to finding him.
Heather Shtuka said she would give $5,000 to anyone who could help bring her 20-year-old son Ryan home.
Ryan Shtuka was last seen leaving a party on Burfield Drive at the Sun Peaks ski resort outside of Kamloops around 2 a.m. PT on Saturday, Feb. 17, and was believed to have walked home to his residence close by.
The young man, who lives in Beaumont, Alta., worked the winter season at Sun Peaks. He moved there in December to work as a lift operator at the resort.
His mother drove through the night to Sun Peaks from Beaumont when she learned of Ryan's disappearance and has been walking the area daily looking for signs of her son.
"Right now, my focus is just on getting through day to day and trying to send out search parties and going out searching for Ryan," Shtuka said.
While she searches, friends and family are turning to social media to ask for tips.
PLEASE RETWEET - Reward for any information leading to the location of Ryan Shtuka - missing from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sunpeaks?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sunpeaks</a> since February 17. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kamloops?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kamloops</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kelowna?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kelowna</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BritishColumbia?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BritishColumbia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/canada?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#canada</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/canadwide?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#canadwide</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/findryanshtuka?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#findryanshtuka</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Kamscan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Kamscan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CFJC_Today?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CFJC_Today</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RadioNLNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RadioNLNews</a> <a href="https://t.co/GjX7BNAenW">pic.twitter.com/GjX7BNAenW</a>
—@TrishHrytsak"You know people have lives to get on with and that this is not always in the forefront, but we really do feel that people have been so generous in sharing the posts and commenting and sending prayers," said Shtuka.
"It really does bolster our spirits when we don't feel that we have enough strength to go through the next day."
T'Kumlups Rural RCMP are actively investigating Ryan's disappearance and say there are no tips that have suggested Ryan left the Sun Peaks resort area.
"It is day after day: seven days, eight days, now we are nine days into this," said Shtuka. "I wish there were updates but unfortunately there just isn't."
Ryan Shtuka was last seen wearing dark jeans, a grey/white shirt, a blue coat and a burgundy ball cap.
He is described as:
- Five feet 10 inches, or 1.78 metres tall.
- 155 pounds or 70 kilograms.
- Blond hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information is asked to contact T'Kumlups Rural RCMP at 250-314-1800 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.