'Disappeared without a trace': Kitchener family pleads for help after daughter goes missing in B.C.
Jaqueline McDermott, 22, from Kitchener has been reported missing in B.C., and her family is putting out a plea across the country for help.
“We want to make sure that we are amplifying this message beyond just B.C. because I’m worried that she’s not there anymore,” said Nathalie St-Maurice, Jaqueline’s mother.
McDermott was last seen by her vehicle after attending a meditation retreat.
RCMP said her vehicle was found, but she was not in it or near it.
“A little while later, her vehicle appears to be broken down along Highway 97C between Merritt and Logan Lake,” said Cpl. Madonna Saunderson with media relations for RCMP.
St-Maurice said her daughter left in the spring of 2022 with the dream of exploring Canada while living in her van that she outfitted to be like a tiny home.
“She has a little bed in there, and she has a little kitchenette in there. Only thing she doesn’t have in there is a toilet,” said St-Maurice.
Her mother said she had plans to meet with friends in the coming days and weeks, but no one has heard from her.
She said it is not like her to cancel on her friends without notice.
In a news release, RCMP described McDermott as a Caucasian female, who is 5-foot-7 and 111 pounds. She has curly blond hair, a fair complexion with a medium build and a pierced nose.
Missing Poster for Jaqui McDermott (Submitted/Nathalie St-Maurice)
St-Maurice said she hasn’t been able to sleep much since she’s been missing. Her family is having a hard time making sense of it.
“Every time you close your eyes, you go down a rabbit hole that you don’t want to go down,” she said. “Basically disappeared without a trace. It’s unbelievable. It’s crazy.”
Her mother said McDermott is a free spirit and artist.
“She’s a nature lover, she’s a vegan, she’s an animal lover, she’s an animal rights activist,” said St-Maurice. “She is loved by so many people. The outpouring of support has been overwhelming.”
RCMP said the search will continue.
“The investigation will remain open and active until we find Jaqueline or find out what happened,” said Saunderson.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States.