The search for a missing New Westminster mother has expanded Thursday, as the woman’s family continues to grapple with her unusual disappearance.
Nirla Sharma, 44, hasn’t been seen since Sunday night when she went to bed at her home in the 300-block of Lawrence Street in Queensborough.
Her daughter Vanessa says she heard the door chime as it opened around 4 a.m. When the family rose in the morning, Sharma was absent.
“It’s not normal at all. Usually if she leaves the house she’ll take a phone with her and she’ll take ID with her. She didn’t take anything,” said Vanessa.
“I just want to let her know that we just want her to come home, or if she could just call us and let us know that she’s safe,” she said through tears.
“We love her, we just want to hear from her and make sure she’s safe and sound because this isn’t like her at all.”
Thursday morning, Coquitlam Search and Rescue joined the hunt, focusing its efforts on the shores of Queensborough.
“We’re searching the waterfront areas, the north and south channels — Queensborough is bounded by water from the Fraser on those two sides — and some of the green spaces, park spaces and undeveloped land areas,” said search manager Jim Mancell.
Mancell said there were eight to 10 search-and-rescue volunteers on the ground.
Vanessa said there was nothing unusual about her mother’s behaviour Sunday night, and is still struggling to understand what happened.
“Nothing happened the night before, it was a completely normal weekend,” she said.
“Saturday we were together all day, Sunday we had dinner, everything was fine. There was nothing that could have been stressing her out besides work; she has a stressful job.”
The Sharma family has been calling women’s shelters and hospitals and plastering “missing” posters around the Queensborough area.
They’re also asking the public to share news stories and social media posts as often as possible.
Sharma is described as South Asian, five-foot-three, 138 pounds, with a slim build and medium complexion. She has short black hair and brown eyes.
Sharma has a tattoo on her left arm of an OM symbol, and tattoos of a crown on her right wrist, a rose on her tailbone and a design on her left ankle.
She was last seen wearing pink pajamas, but she may be wearing a black jacket with a hood and orange Nike shoes.
Police are asking for the public’s help finding her.
Anyone with information is asked to call NWPD at 604-525-5411 or if she is seen to call 911.