THURSDAY AUGUST 22, 2013
Black Press C O M M U N I T Y
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IMPRESSIVE COMMUNITY RESPONSE
‘Missing’ girl safe at home Neighbours, workers help RCMP
search a Parksville neighbourhood JOHN HARDING
editor@pqbnews.com
A nightmare scenario turned into a good news story Tuesday afternoon when a three-year-old girl was found safe at home after a highenergy search by police and the public. RCMP Cpl. Jesse Foreman said he was impressed with the response from the public when word got out the girl might be missing in the Sylvan Crescent area of Parksville at 1:40 p.m. Tuesday. Police and Arrowsmith Search and Rescue reacted swiftly and helicopters were seen searching the area, seemingly only 10-20 metres above the rooftops of homes. In the end, the search was called off at 2:45 p.m. when the girl was found safe at home, despite multiple searches of the house by the family and police before the wider effort was unleashed. “She was very small and was (sleeping) in a crack in the couch under a blanket,” Foreman told The NEWS. “She woke up as if nothing happened.” Foreman said he was impressed with the response from the public. He said residents living near Sylvan Crescent and the Mark’s Park area came out of their houses right away and joined the search, along with some construction workers and roofers who were busy in the area. See A VERY POSITIVE STORY, page A7
Stilwell responds JOHN HARDING
editor@pqbnews.com
Michelle Stilwell has read the letters to the editor and comments in other media critical of her absences from this region while she competes on the world wheelchair racing scene. The Parksville Qualicum MLA was asked what she thought about those criticisms in an interview with The NEWS this week. “It’s not affecting me because I know I’ve been working hard,” said Stilwell. “We’ve been helping constituents for the past couple of months.” See MLA, page A9
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JOHN HARDING PHOTO
An RCMP helicopter wasn’t far above the rooftops of a Parksville neighbourhood Tuesday afternoon during a search for a three-year-old girl who was eventually found safe at home.
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