Family, friends launch search for missing Squamish men

Family members and friends of Dan Archbald, 37, and Ryan Daley, 43, have begun a search on Vancouver Island after the two men disappeared on May 16.

The pair had just wrapped up an eightweek sailing trip from Panama to Ucluelet and were headed to the small surfing hamlet ofJordan Riverwhere Daley owns aproperty. They did not have a car, and it's unclear if they had planned to hitchhike or had arranged a ride.

Daley's father, Terry Daley, says they were expecting to lose contact with the two men for a short time because of spotty cell service, but eventually he grew concerned when no one had heard from them.

"We didn't really get really concerned until a few days ago ... and they have lots of friends, so maybe they just needed some space after spending so long on a sailboat."

Daley says it's unusual for his son to be out of contact for more than two or three days.

Correy Matheson travelled to Ucluelet from her home in Squamish after speaking to Archbald's wife Leah on Saturday.

"We are all beside ourselves about the time that we've lost, and we just hope that somebody saw something or heard something and that will reach out."

Matheson says Archbald is devoted to his two young daughters, and it's very unusual for him to not be in contact with them.

The two men were last seen leaving the UclueletSmall Craft Harbour on May 16.

Kevin Courtes is the harbour manager andsays they arrived three days earlier and spent time getting Archbald's sailboat, the Astral Blue, assessed as he worked out import taxes with the Canada Border Services Agency.

Courtes says the day before they left, Archbald paid for a month of moorage for his boat.

"I have security footage of them, of Dan leaving my office, grabbing the pack and him and Ryan leaving through my parking lot yes, but that's as far as it goes. They go off screen with their packs. I have nothing else."

Courtes says he thinks it's unlikely they were hitchhiking given the direction they were headed, but he says they didn't give him any indication of how or where they were travelling.

The people looking for Archbald and Daley are co-ordinating with volunteers searching for Ben Kilmer, another man who went missing near Duncan on the same day.

The RCMP have opened a missing persons file and are asking anyone with information to contact them.