The family of a missing man in Cape Breton is asking the public to keep an eye out for him.
Colin Beaton was last seen at around 2 a.m. Saturday, when he left a cottage in Harbourview, N.S., near Port Hood. He was wearing black rubber boots, jeans, and a grey hoodie.
Allan MacMaster, the MLA for Inverness, is Beaton’s cousin. He says the 31-year-old is from the Lower Sackville area and was staying with family on the weekend when he went missing.
“Colin is not somebody who just left a party and went missing. He was with family, he left through the night. He’s in a vulnerable state, which is giving us even more cause for concern,” MacMaster said.
“In his state, it’s even more important that he’s found as soon as possible.”
MacMaster says Beaton left without his glasses and his family is concerned about his mental health.
People in the area have been asked to search their properties, including cabins, uninhabited homes, and vehicles.
An extensive search began on Sunday, including air support along with four ground search and rescue crews, RCMP police dog services, and the RCMP underwater recovery team.
READ MORE: RCMP, emergency services continue search for missing Nova Scotia man
RCMP say ground search and rescue crews are not actively searching as of Wednesday because they have exhausted their efforts in following up on specific tips in the area where Beaton went missing.
MacMaster has put out a call on social media for volunteers in case another search is launched. So far, more than 50 people have responded.
“We can’t just send people out into the woods. These kinds of things need to be managed professionally,” MacMaster said. “If the RCMP give the green light to another ground search, I know there are a lot of people who are ready and willing to come out to help.”
MacMaster says the grey hoodie Beaton was last seen wearing has been found on the shore about a kilometer away from the family property, and he believes that’s why police are now focusing their search on the water. RCMP say they have brought in another boat to assist in the search Wednesday.
Beaton did have a cellphone with him when he left. His family says it’s possible he has left the local area but they are asking people to look for him.
Beaton is described as being five-feet-11-inches tall and about 160 pounds with red hair and a beard.
Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact RCMP at 902-258-2213 or call Crime Stoppers.
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