Search for Wyoming man underway after horse found without its rider near Merritt, B.C.

An extensive search is underway for the rider of a horse that was found in full riding gear nearMerritt, B.C.

Loggers found the horse on Monday around 12:30 p.m. PT. Ranchers caught the animal and figured out whoit belonged to.

Thirty-two-year-old BenTynerfrom Wyomingworksat a cattle ranch nearMerritt. He'd been on his days off and was last seen on Saturday afternoon.

RCMPsaid no one knows when he rode into thebackcountryor where he was going.

"We don't know what his destination was. We believe he rode in from the ranch where he works, but we're having trouble locating tracks because of all the wildlife in the area and other wild horse herds," saidConst.TracyDunsmore.

More than half a dozen search and rescue teams from the Lower Mainland to the NorthOkanaganhave been involved in the search. Police dogs, snowmobiles, drones and helicopters have been deployed.

"We've brought in every resource that we have,"Dunsmoresaid.

Tyner's family on its way to Merritt

RCMPsaid members ofTyner'sfamily are on their way toMerrittfrom the U.S. to assist in the search.

Members of the public have been asked not to search independently to avoid further interference, but anyone with information or who may have seen a man riding in theSwakumridge area over the weekend is asked to contactMerrittRCMP.

KamloopsSearch and Rescue iscontinuing itssearch forTynerbutsays it hasn't learned much more since itbegan looking on Monday night.

"We're kind of in the same spot as where we were when we started," saidJenniferStahnwithKamloopsSearch and Rescue.

"We know where his horse was found and we know when he was last seen, but other than that, we've [only] managed to narrow it down to where he's not."

Stahnsaid they aren't sure how preparedTynerwas to be outside in cold temperatures.

"The colder temperatures definitely puts a little bit more pressure to find him sooner rather than later," she said.

"Having [so] many people helpus spread out the area. .. it allows us to cover a larger area a lot more quickly than if we only had one team out."

The City ofMerritt, in the Interior's Nicola Valley, has a population of about 7,000 people.