The last time anybody saw Mitchel Jerome Bellemore he was knocking on the door of an acquaintance and may have been covered in mud.
“He asked for a lighter and from what I’ve heard, he didn’t get one,” said the teen’s sister, 22-year-old Valerie Bellemore.
“They just said he was walking home; he was walking towards Colby (village).”
Mitchel may have been four-wheeling with friends before he disappeared, said Cpl. Joe Taplin with the RCMP.
RCMP and Halifax Search and Rescue volunteers resumed their search yesterday for the 17-year-old Auburn High School student who has been missing since Friday night.
His parents called police when Mitchel hadn’t returned home by Saturday evening and a search began Sunday morning in the area of Morris Lake off Caldwell Road.
Taplin said the search was called off Sunday night because of lack of evidence that the boy had been in the area, but Atholea Drive, where he was last seen, is located directly across the road from the entrance to Morris Lake.
Over 30 volunteers started searching yesterday afternoon when Mitchel had still not returned.
“We’re going to expand our search in this area, go over areas we searched previously and continue searching from there outwards,” said Taplin.
A Department of Natural Resources helicopter arrived on scene around 2:30 p.m.
“Even with the camouflage jacket, if he’s moving through that area we’ll spot him with the helicopter,” said search manager Tony Rodgers.
Mitchel was wearing a camouflage, hooded jacket, jeans and black running shoes when he was last seen.
Rodgers said Fire and Emergency Services boats would join the search to scour the surface and perimeter of the lake.
Mitchel’s sister was visibly upset when talking to reporters yesterday, but said she wanted to inform the public about her brother.
“He’s a great guy; bring him home,” she said, her voice shaking.
Taplin said family and searchers remained hopeful Mitchel would soon be located.
“We’re looking at the scenarios that he’s in the woods, maybe injured somewhere, or he’s in somebody’s residence and maybe scared to call,” he said.
