Search for B.C. woman missing after boat washes ashore near Nanaimo now a missing person’s case

The search and rescue efforts for a 34-year-old woman whose sailboat was discovered off the coast of Nanaimo Thursday have now turned into a missing person’s case.

Nanimo RCMP Const. Gary O’Brien tells 1130 NewsRadio that police don’t know when Amber Nitchman may have set sail, adding that’s something they are trying to figure out.

“Our objective is to fill in the blanks,” O’Brien said.

“Was the person actually on the boat? When was the last time the person was seen? Was the boat seen traversing a certain area? These are things we need to know.”

He says the RCMP has received several tips after posting photos of the sailboat and Nitchman online.

Lt. Cmdr. Diane Larose of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) says the search efforts were extensive.

“The JRCC-Victoria tasked two CH-149 Cormorant helicopters and several Canadian Coast Guard assets, who did multiple searches of the area,” she said.

The search began both at sea and on land after the sailboat was discovered washed ashore and empty Thursday. Mounties say Nitchman is the registered owner of the 10-metre white sailboat that was found near Bayshore Drive and Hammond Bay Road off Nanaimo.

No one was on the boat, and Nanaimo Search and Rescue, the JRCC, the coast guard, and Nanaimo RCMP all joined the search.

Larose says conditions were favourable during the 10-hour search, and the JRCC followed standard procedures before turning the file over to the RCMP.

Police are asking that anyone with information on the case contact investigators immediately.

The RCMP has released photos of both Nitchman and her boat, named the Gypsy Soul, hoping someone might have more information about Nitchman’s location.

Investigators did not release any additional details on the case, including when the woman was last seen before her boat washed ashore.

— With files from The Canadian Press.