It has been six months since Coquitlam man Shin Noh went missing without a trace, but his family is not giving up hope.
Sixty-four-year-old Noh suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and was last seen on Sept. 18 near his home at Lansdowne and McCoomb Drive in Coquitlam.
Although there have been many sightings of Noh in the months following his disappearance, Noh’s son Sam says they still do not have any solid leads.
“Not having closure is really hard to deal with,” he says.
The family and a team of volunteers have been conducting regular searches, hoping for any shred of evidence or clue on what may have happened to Noh.
They have covered a vast area during their search efforts, from downtown Vancouver to isolated trails in Port Coquitlam, but Sam says it is hard to narrow down the search given his dad’s condition.
“For me, I am trying to search closer to home. He could be in Maple Ridge, but I don’t know how he would cross that bridge, unless he took transit. It is crazy. There are posters up looking for information in Kelowna and as far as Calgary.”
Sam says the outpouring of community support has been amazing.
He says he does not personally know many of the volunteers who come out to help with the search.
“They do not even know my dad, so we are very touched that way. The community is still very responsive and this is still on their minds.”
Cpl. Jamie Chung with Coquitlam RCMP says they have received more than a hundred tips from the public in the last six months.
He says the investigation is still active and they are asking anyone with information to give them a call.
WATCH: Where is Shin Noh?
But for now, the Noh family is taking it one day at a time.
“Statistically they say he is not alive, but it is hard to imagine that he would pass on so easily,” says Sam. “So much time has passed that I think something should have surfaced by now. Somebody should have seen him already. And if he is not alive, where are his remains?”
Sam says he is convinced his father would have been found had there been a Silver Alert system in place in British Columbia.
The Silver Alert is similar to the Amber Alert that gets issued whenever young children go missing, but is instead intended for missing elders.
One of the confirmed sightings of Shin in the early stages of the search was near the Burke Mountain, just two hours after he left home.
Another sighting involved a person who saw him near Coast Meridian and Lincoln Drive, but did not realize he was missing.
Today, the newly appointed Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie addressed the possibility of a Silver Alert system in B.C.
Last month, the NDP introduced a private member’s bill for Silver Alert legislation.
Mackenzie says she was not going to start advocating specific measures before she officially takes office.
“Certainly there are going to be a number of ideas that are going to be appropriate,” she said. “There’s not one quick fix for dementia, because there’s not one face of dementia.”
Meanwhile, the Noh family continues to hope for the best and is asking anyone who may see their dad to call 9-1-1 and stay with him.
They are also asking them to take a picture.
“We need photo confirmation, because they will call us, and I will go chase after that lead, and I don’t know where that person is anymore,” says Sam. “Our message is to take a photo, and go up to that person and ask if he is Shin.”
Noh is described as Korean, 5’6”, with an average build, and short black hair.
He is a retired pastor and may be seeking churches and respond to gospel music.
The family plans to conduct more searches when the weather warms up.
For information on how to help, go to www.shin-noh.ca
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