Alert system should have been used sooner for missing senior, says Baddeck official

An official with the Village of Baddeck is calling out the Nova Scotia RCMP and the Municipality of Victoria County for not using the municipal alert system sooner in the search for a missing senior that was suspended on Sunday.

Jennifer MacDonald, chair of the village commission, said the public should have been notified right away when 80-year-old Baddeck resident Richard Mahoney was reported missing on Thursday.

"We are a small community and there probably are things that we could have done," she told CBC News on Tuesday, after raising concerns about the search for Mahoney at Monday night's Victoria County council meeting.

"The RCMP indicated that they felt he was on foot, so certainly time was of the essence and I just feel like communication might have helped. It may not have, but it certainly wouldn't have hurt."

MacDonald said trailers were parked near the community rink on Thursday and a helicopter was flying overhead throughout the day, so she was surprised when the county did not issue a public alert to residents.

"To me, if we've got a system that we can access, we should use it. That's what it's for."

MacDonald said an alert finally went out late Thursday, as it was getting dark, after she repeatedly pushed RCMP and municipal officials.

In a news release on Tuesday, RCMP said the search for Mahoney had been suspended Sunday night.

They said volunteers with 10 search and rescue teams from across the province put in 2,000 hours, a provincial Department of Natural Resources helicopter was used and volunteer drone operators provided support through the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association.

They covered more than 100 kilometres of forests, roads and trails before the search was suspended, RCMP said.

They also said messages went out to the public through news releases, social media and the national Alert Ready system.

Warden Bruce Morrison said Victoria County followed its policy on use of the municipal Voyent Alert system and referred questions about it to the chief administrative officer.

Village could have sent out alert, CAO says

Leanne MacEachen said according to policy, the municipal system is for day-to-day issues, such as changes to the garbage pickup schedule, or critical incidents from severe weather.

She said the county will use it if asked by the emergency management co-ordinator or RCMP, but that didn't happen in this case.

MacEachen also said the village asked for, and got, permission to use the system in January.

"The village actually could have sent out their own message if they were wanting to," the CAO said.

MacDonald said the village wanted access to the system in case of sewer or water issues and its mandate does not include emergency management.

She said she appreciated all the work people put into the search for Mahoney and didn't want to lay blame but the county's alert policy should be changed.

Police seek details on Mahoney's disappearance

MacEachen said the policy might come up for review next year, because five of the county's eight councillors are not reoffering in the municipal elections this fall.

RCMP say they are still asking anyone with information on Mahoney's whereabouts to call 911 or Victoria County RCMP.