Manitoba

Volunteers scour fields west of The Maples as search continues for Eduardo Balaquit

Flanked by dozens of volunteers for the third night in a row, family of Eduardo Balaquit scoured fields west of The Maples Thursday night as search efforts continue for the missing 59-year-old man.

Balaquit, 59, reported missing June 4; dozens look north of Jefferson Avenue, west of King Edward

Dozens of volunteers fan across a field west of King Edward Street and north of Jefferson Avenue on Thursday night, looking for signs of Eduardo Balaquit. (CBC)

Flanked by dozens of volunteers for the third night in a row, Eduardo Balaquit's family scoured fields west of The Maples Thursday night as search efforts continue for the missing 59-year-old man.

"I know he's alive. I don't want to think of anything else," his son Edward Balaquit said at the search site north of Jefferson Avenue and west of King Edward Street. "Hopefully we find him. I don't know where else to look."

Edward Balaquit, left, says he doesn't know where else to look for his father, Eduardo Balaquit. (CBC)

The Bear Clan Patrol, a North End watch group, has helped to co-ordinate search efforts since Balaquit was reported missing earlier this week. Organizers decided to search the fields in the northwest outskirts of the city on Thursday because they said missing people have been found there before, Edward said.

Eduardo Balaquit didn't return home from work on Monday. He was last seen near a Keewatin Street business where he was supposed to do some contract work for the janitorial business he owns, but he never showed up.

The manager of the business called Balaquit's family on Tuesday morning to say he never showed up for work. The manager said they had found Balaquit's van with the passenger window smashed in, along with a cellphone inside the vehicle and some of his belongings on the ground outside.

The Winnipeg police homicide unit is investigating the case. No arrests have been made.

"I want to bring him home," said Edward Balaquit. "We're going to find him."

Eduardo Balaquit is 5-foot-4, 155 pounds and has a medium build. He was wearing a black zip-up sweater, black pants and black shoes when he was last at 380 Keewatin St. between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Monday.

Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to contact police at 204-986-6508 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477.

The family also encourages anyone with information to reach out to them directly at 204-298-5171 or 204-510-5170.