A 44-year-old Oak Bay man reported missing on Monday was located safe on Tuesday afternoon.
Mark Lovett’s red Jeep broke down in Jordan River on Monday. He slept in the Jeep overnight and then walked about 30 kilometres back to Sooke, said Oak Bay Deputy Chief Ray Bernoties.
Lovett arrived in Sooke just after 2 p.m. Tuesday.
“These are extremely stressful situations for the loved ones of the missing person, and we exhaust all efforts on cases like these,” Bernoties said.
“We push everything else aside to give this our full attention.
“We become very invested in these calls, and I can tell you we’re absolutely thrilled and relieved when the outcome is positive such as in this case.”
Lovett was reported missing Tuesday morning after he failed to return home from an outing on Monday.
Originally, police believed he might have gone to the Shawnigan Lake area where he liked to “off-road” in his Jeep.
Oak Bay police pinged his phone and checked bank records to determine that he was in the area of Valentine and East Sooke roads about 1 p.m. on Monday.
Original story
Oak Bay police are taking to the air in a helicopter in search of a 44-year-old male Oak Bay man who didn’t return home yesterday after a morning outing — something very out of character, say police.
Mark Lovett was believed to be wearing green camouflage pants and a black jacket when he was last seen in Oak Bay on Family Day Monday at about 7:45 a.m., said Oak Bay Deputy Chief Ray Bernoties.
He did not return home.
“We have an Oak Bay police officer boarding the RCMP helicopter to assist with the search by air,” said Bernoties.
Updated information Tuesday suggested Lovett may have been around Valentine Road and East Sooke Road by 1 p.m. on Monday.
“We're engaging Sooke RCMP to assist,” said Bernoties, on Monday.
Originally, police believed Lovett may have gone to the Shawnigan Lake area where he liked to “off-road” in his Jeep, said Bernoties.
Some information suggested Lovett may have gone to the Weeks Lake area, approximately 25 kilometres west of Shawnigan Lake. Shawnigan Lake RCMP are also assisting.
"The general area where he is believed to have gone is quite vast and remote and we do not believe he was equipped for overnighting in these cold conditions,” said Bernoties.
Lovett’s Jeep is a red 2001 TJ with B.C. licence EB313K.
"Anyone who has seen [his] Jeep yesterday or today should call the police as any information may assist us in this search."
Lovett is described as five feet nine inches tall, with a medium build, short hair and blue eyes
