The search for a University of Waterloo employee who went missing while hiking in California has been dialed back.
The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that the intensive search for 32-year-old Rick Eastep of Waterloo has been suspended.
Search efforts began on Jan. 9 after Eastep sent a text message to his shuttle driver saying he had been injured while hiking on a trail.
“The shuttle driver may not have had reception, so he got the message Wednesday night,” said a sheriff's office representative.
They say they found back-packing supplies and a backpack believed to belong to the hiker.
Shelter Cove emergency personnel began their search and rescue operation that evening.
“We have been in contact with his family in Ontario, they described this backpack, so we are pretty sure it's his, but we are not sure what happened,” said the representative.
Eight different agencies, including helicopters from the Coast Guard, Cal Fire, and an ocean rescue boat from Shelter Cove Fire helped in the search.
On Jan. 12, command staff suspended the search, but say they will check through the area from time to time over the next several weeks for any more evidence of what could have happened.
The University of Waterloo confirms Eastep works in their IT department as a presentation technologies specialist.
They say they are aware he is missing, but have not received any other information.
