Search underway for Yarmouth County man last seen early New Year's Day
RCMP leading the search for Zachery Lefave
Ground, water and aerial search crews are scouring parts of Yarmouth County for a 21-year-old man who disappeared early New Year's Day.
Nova Scotia RCMP say Zachery Lefave was last spotted on Highway 334 in Plymouth around 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 1 and reported missing two hours later.
In a news release issued later that same day, RCMP described the missing man as five-foot-nine and 175 pounds with brown hair, brown facial hair and blue eyes. They said he was last seen wearing a hat, plaid shirt and shorts.
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Lisa Croteau told CBC Sunday that the police launched an investigation on New Year's Day, and by the weekend had enlisted the help of several other agencies to search for Lefave.
Yarmouth County Ground Search and Rescue joined the search on Saturday. On Sunday, a helicopter from the provincial Department of Lands and Forestry also joined the efforts, as well as boats and crews from the Yarmouth Fire Department.
The water search included Tusket River and Chebogue River, both close to Highway 334 where Lefave was last seen.
Lefave was 20-years-old at the time of his disappearance. Sunday marked his 21st birthday.
Search to continue Monday
RCMP Cpl. Jeff Leblanc, the incident commander for the search who was in the search area Sunday, said more than 80 additional people joined the search effort before darkness fell. They planned to resume their efforts on Monday.
"Tomorrow we're going to be in the air again, in the water, but we're going to be focusing on [an] extensive search in the wooded area, doing lots of grid searching," Leblanc said in a phone interview.
So far, ground search efforts have covered about 25 kilometres, Leblanc said. He said some new ground would be covered Monday, and some areas would be revisited and searched in greater detail.
Leblanc said some "clues" had been found, like articles of clothing and other debris, but none that could be linked definitively to Lefave.
"No big developments, yet."
Leblanc said Lefave was walking home from a party on the night of his disappearance.