His daughter disappeared 19 months ago, so he’s launching drones to find missing women

Nineteen months. Two trips from Ontario to B.C.

No leads in the case of Ashley Simpson, a woman who went missing near Salmon Arm last year.

So now her father John Simpson, who lives in Ontario, is taking to the air in the search for her, and other women who have disappeared in the area in the past 20 months.

Coverage of missing women in the Okanagan on Globalnews.ca:

2:11 Family of a missing Okanagan woman speaks out after search of Salmon Arm-area farm end

• Family of a missing Okanagan woman speaks out after search of Salmon Arm-area farm end
• Human remains, missing women have Okanagan fearing possible serial killer
• 2 weeks on, new details about a search of a north Okanagan farm
• Concern a serial killer could be at work in the north Okanagan
• RCMP expand missing women investigation in Okanagan after remains found on farm

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Simpson has held a fundraiser to buy two drones for volunteers who are searching for missing women near Salmon Arm.

He was inspired to do it after a teenager used his own fleet of drones in the search.

“I’m only doing things that I hope any other father would do,” he said.

“I see a dilemma of the missing… and I see that action needs to be taken.”

It’s just the latest effort that John has made as he has tried to find his daughter.

He has already looked in the ditches and the rivers of Salmon Arm.

“I was out there this year, in May, because the flooding situation and everything being closed down, it was really hard to get access to anything,” John said.

READ MORE: For family of missing woman, disappointment as Salmon River Road search wraps up

The drones will be handed over to a volunteer group who have continued to search for missing women in the area.

Remains found at a farm near Salmon Arm were identified as Traci Genereaux, an 18-year-old who was last heard from in May.

The flying machines should help them see in areas where they can’t easily access the terrain.

“This gives families who are dealing with this issue of murdered and missing women, it gives them hope and strength I’m sure,” said searcher Jody Leon.

The drones are set to be deployed close to Salmon Arm this weekend.