Photo: Chief Merle Loon, a relation of both missing persons stands near the place where Noden Skunk and Ashlynn Bottle were last seen. / Carrie Ivardi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
By: Carrie Ivardi
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
NWOnewswatch.com
THUNDER BAY — The search is intensifying for two friends who met up on the south-side of the city two weeks ago and have not been seen since.
“The situation is very concerning at this point,” said Jeff Saunders, missing person coordinator for the Thunder Bay Police Service.
Noden Skunk, 25, and Ashlynn Bottle, 23 were last seen on April 26.
Saunders said that they are believed to be together and were last seen near the Fort William grain elevator adjacent to Syndicate Avenue South.
The two are known to be friends, he added.
“Noden Skunk is actually from Ignace,” said Saunders. “He had come up to Thunder Bay to visit his son.”
He said that Skunk and Bottle had made plans to meet up that Sunday at the grain elevator.
“They did, and that’s where we’re at now.”
A video shows the two going into the property at about 4:30 p.m., said Saunders, and hour later only one person is seen coming out.
“We have a person that was with them at the time. And that person left the property and these two persons, both Skunk and Bottle, haven’t been seen since,” said Saunders.
Both Skunk and Bottle are Mishkeegogamang band members, according to a representative of the First Nation.
A group of searchers from Mishkeegogamang and Cat Lake First Nation are actively searching the area.
“We’re trying to be mindful of the safety of our people and our searchers,” said Merle Loon, Chief of Mishkeegogamang First Nation. Loon said he is a relation to both missing people.
“We don’t want to have another a situation where we’re searching for the searchers, but at the same time, it’s desperate for us to go try and find them.”
Mishkeegogamang has set up a command centre, with support from Nishnawbe Aski Nation, coordinating the search out of the Prince Arthur Hotel.
Loon is also making an appeal to city residents for assistance.
“We’re really encouraging the public to support and help us out,” he said.
“If there’s any video footage out there, in the area, please submit it to the police and to the authorities.”
Noden Skunk was last seen wearing all black. He wore black runners, a black baseball cap with a white emblem on the front and a black sweatshirt with a big white emblem on the front.
Bottle was last seen wearing red pants with white and red runners, a black Nike zip-up jacket and a carrying black backpack with brown on the bottom.
Police were first informed that they were last seen by the grain elevator on Friday, May 3, said Saunders, and searchers with Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue were out looking for them that night.
“They came out and went through the elevator, all three buildings. They did a search that night and were able to look down into all the silos,” he said. “Drones have been flown inside the elevator. Drones have been flown on the outside of the elevator, and there’s been a complete search of every building and every nook and cranny on this property, and we’re unable to locate them.”
He said that firefighters were pretty confident that Skunk and Bottle were not in the elevators.
“They did a secondary search the next day with some of our criminal investigation investigators. At the same time on Saturday they went through some of the outbuildings that are also on this property that used to belong to the ADM Ogilvie plant,” said Saunders.
“We don’t have anything to suggest that they left this property,” he said.
However, it is possible Skunk and Bottle left the area and were never captured on camera, Saunders said.
“It’s quite a lengthy piece of property. It is completely fenced, but at the ends people do go around the sides of it. And there is the fear of the water being right there.”
He said that on Saturday, a police boat was utilized in the search.
“It went up and down both sides of the river all the way up to the mouth where it meets the lake on both sides with sonar. They didn’t see anything.”
City police are now looking to the OPP to continue searching the river. “That’s their job is underwater search and recovery, to come up and assist,” he said.
A more thorough search of the water is likely the next step, Saunders said.
Police have also checked all the social media, banking and cell phone information for Skunk and Bottle as part of the ongoing investigation.
He said that in speaking with various family members and friends, no one has seen them at all.
“We’re pleading with the public for some assistance. Anybody in the area in and around here, if they could check their backyards, outbuildings, etc.
“As well, if anybody has camera footage from April 26, basically from 6:30, say till 9 o’clock that night that shows any of these two individuals.”
Police ask that anyone with information or video footage that could help find the pair contact investigators at 807-684-1200 or contact Crime Stoppers an at 1-800-222-8477.
The Mishkeegogamang command centre can be reached at 807-323-0802 between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m.