The wife of a man who went missing in Youbou in June wants people to remember Nick Marion’s face in case they see him.
Dory Marion isn’t giving up hope that her husband is out there somewhere and will be found safe.
“We have no evidence to say that something bad has happened, that he’s not with us anymore. And maybe that’s naive, but I just am still operating on the belief that he’s out there somewhere, and we will be able to find him,” she said.
The 38-year-old Victoria resident went missing while visiting Youbou at the end of June. Nick Marion told family he was going for a walk in the early morning of June 30 but never returned. He was last seen wearing a black T-shirt, black pants and black retro Jordan 11 shoes.
Six sightings were reported near Pine Point campsite, Mill site and Cowan Road near Maple Grove campsite the day he went missing, Marion said. The last confirmed sighting was the following day around 4:30 p.m., when Nick Marion was spotted sitting on a beach near Maple Grove campsite.
“We have exhausted our efforts. There haven’t been any clues or confirmed sightings,” Marion said.
Cowichan Search and Rescue called off their search by ground, air and water on July 6. Cameras on residential and other buildings in the area were checked, as was transportation off the Island, including B.C. Ferries, airports, buses and highways.
The family continued to search with the help of volunteers and have shifted efforts to keeping his face in the public eye.
“The biggest thing is just making sure that we have his face out there, so that if somebody did see him, they would know that we need to find him,” she said.
Nick Marion had recently lost his mother and was struggling with his mental health, Marion said. He had lost a significant amount of weight before his disappearance and will likely appear slimmer than photos of him, but his many tattoos, including Egyptian and spiritual symbols on both his arms, flowers on his hands and neck tattoos, will help to identify him, she said.
Nick Marion grew up in Orlando, Florida, and was at one time a professional dancer at the Walt Disney World Resort. He is known for his “kind spirit and big heart,” and is a loving husband and father whose family is extremely worried, Marion said.
More than six weeks after his disappearance, Marion is feeling helpless. “I feel like we’ve been going so hard, and it’s very hard to not have any clues,” she said.
A group of friends have started a campaign to paint rocks with symbols representing Nick Marion’s passions. On the other side of the rocks is a QR code that takes users to a social media page with more information about the search. Anyone wanting to help with the project can visit Archer Gallery at 847 Fort St. to participate.
Residents in the Lake Cowichan, Youbou and surrounding areas are still urged to check their properties, including any structures, for signs of Nick Marion.
The missing person file remains active with Lake Cowichan RCMP. Anyone with information on Nick Marion’s whereabouts can call the detachment at 250-749-6668.
