Squamish Search and Rescue (SSAR) and Squamish RCMP this week were searching for a West Vancouver man whose vehicle was located in the Shannon Falls parking lot on Sunday (Dec. 9) after he was reported missing.

David Leggett, 35, is believed to be familiar with the trails in the Shannon Falls/Stawamus Chief area, Cst. Tammy Khorram of the West Vancouver Police Department wrote in a statement issued on Monday (Dec. 10).

Leggett is described as Caucasian, 5 feet, 8 inches tall, 150 pounds, with blonde hair and balding. He might have been wearing glasses, Khorram wrote.

Efforts to locate Leggett had proven unsuccessful as of Tuesday (Dec. 11) at 5 p.m. Murray Watt, SSAR search manager, said some 22 local volunteers were involved in the search, scouring the woods between Shannon Falls and the Stawamus Chief and going up in a helicopter when the weather cleared for a short spell on Monday to survey the rock faces and crevasses of the Chief.

Searchers also combed the nearby Howe Sound shoreline, assisted by both the local branch of the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Society and a Cormorant search helicopter from CFB Comox, he said.

Leggett is a recent transplant from Ontario. Watt said he has been in contact with members of his family back east.

“The family is quite concerned,” he said. “We're keeping them up to date.”

The weather prevented SSAR volunteers from flying on Tuesday, and also hampered efforts to conduct ground searches on the steeper slopes in the Shannon Falls/Stawamus Chief area, Watt said.

While the lower slopes between the two provincial parks are fairly gentle, “above that it's more challenging terrain — rock coated with ice, and relatively steep — so it's dangerous for the searchers to get up and search there,” Watt said.

“Of course, my biggest concern is the safety of my searchers.”

Watt said it's important that those planning to venture into the backcountry tell someone where they're going and when they intend to return. As well, they should take along food, water, warm clothing and a cell phone or other way to contact the outside world. Anyone with information about Leggett's whereabouts is asked to phone West Vancouver Police at (604) 925-7300.

Do you have any videos or photos of the search? Send us your photos, videos and stories at raldous@squamishchief.com.