The family of Jacob and Anya Oosterwijk say the couple has been found alive. According to family members, their vehicle got stuck, but the Oosterwijks were able to find shelter in a cabin. They are now being taken to hospital.
RCMP in Elk Valley confirm at around 4pm Tuesday, they received a radio transmission from a remote area in Bow River. The female indicated her and her husband were stuck, and that her husband had a knee injury. A helicopter
was dispatched to the area, and located 2 people confirmed to be the Ooserwijks, missing since last Saturday. The family has been notified of that their parents have been safely located, and are very relieved and thankful for all the community help and support.
The Oosterwijks will be transported to the hospital to be evaluated. Apparently, after becoming stuck, the two were able to locate a cabin with a radio, and make the call for assistance. Shortly after the transmission, and once a narrower area was determined, the Police Dog was able to locate the stranded vehicle.
RCMP would like to thank the public for all the assistance and support shown to the family, as well as the Search and Rescue Teams who worked tirelessly to assist this investigation.
Just hours before the happy discovery, friends and family had issued a plea to the public to keep their eyes peeled for any signs of the pair.
At around 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Jacob and Anja Oosterwijk left their home about 150 kilometres south of Calgary, setting out for a drive.
“They had discussed possibly going to Fernie but we don’t really know 100 per cent if they went that way,” said family friend Arlene van Beek. “They may have stopped along the way, taken a scenic route, but it’s all guessing at this point.”
The couple were expected to be home after supper. But when they hadn’t called or returned by late evening, their seven children grew worried.
Their eldest daughter eventually contacted police.
“Anja would normally call the kids or text the kids. She would generally check to see how the kids were doing,” van Beek said, adding the couple has not been seen or heard from since.
Jacob is 46, about six feet tall, of medium build, and bald with a close-shaved beard. He was wearing glasses, blue jeans, a brown leather jacket and a dark brown baseball cap with an unknown logo.
Anja is 43, with short dark-brown hair, about five foot seven, and of medium build. She was wearing glasses, and either blue jeans or a blue jean skirt with a dark blue winter coat.
The couple were driving a green 1997 Honda CRV with the licence plate BCC 7195.
They had a mobile phone, but police were unable to track any activity from nearby cell towers, said Cpl. Bryan Mucha with the Fort Macleod RCMP.
It’s possible the couple may have taken some side roads off Highway 3 in the Pincher Creek, Crowsnest Pass, Sparwood, and Fernie areas and became lost or stuck with recent snowfall in those areas, he added.
The Oosterwijk family moved to Canada from the Netherlands about a year and a half ago, said van Beek, adding they loved nature and were “in awe of the magnificence of the mountains.”
While they hiked occasionally, van Beek said she believes they only headed out for a drive Saturday since they didn’t have their hiking boots and were wearing casual clothing.
A large group of volunteers have been searching back roads and side roads since the couple was reported missing. An RCMP helicopter was dispatched to trace the routes the couple might have taken.
Members from other RCMP detachments in Alberta and B.C. are also checking hotels, motels, and side roads for signs of the couple, Mucha said.
RCMP are urging residents in the rural areas of southern Alberta and south Eastern B.C. in particular to watch for the couple and their vehicle.
“If they have seen any of these people or the vehicle, it can help us narrow down our search point,” Mucha said.
Police have received a handful of tips since Sunday and are following up on all of them, he said.
At this point, there’s no indication that the couple met with foul play, he added.
Throughout this ordeal, the couple’s children have remained “amazingly strong,” van Beek said.
“They have a very strong faith in God and we have a large church family and others praying for them. That’s really holding them up. Of course, they really want to see their mom and dad back here.”
She said the Fort Macleod Alliance Church is raising money to help pay for private search efforts.
[email protected]
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
Postmedia