Mother pleads for information on 'vibrant, beautiful' missing daughter

The mother of a missing Portage la Prairie woman made an emotional plea Thursday for help finding her 24-year-old daughter.

Amber McFarland was last seen early Saturday morning at a bar in the city of 12,700, located about 70 kilometres west of Winnipeg.

Lori McFarland said her daughter is normally in frequent contact with friends and family, speaking daily with her mother and in constant communication with her twin sister, Ashley.

"Amber has a loving, supportive family and a huge extended family, and we're all very worried about her," she said.

"She's an outgoing, vibrant, beautiful and full-of-life girl. She's obviously a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, an auntie, a niece and a good friend to many."

McFarland received a call Saturday morning from her daughter's place of work, saying she hadn't shown up to let in other employees.

"That's when we started to worry," she said. "She would never miss work without speaking to her manager."

McFarland thanked her daughter's many friends, who have been searching for Amber and hanging posters around the city with her daughter's picture on them.

"We're asking anyone with even the slightest bit of information to please contact the RCMP, even if that information seems to be insignificant. We're grasping at straws trying to piece together what could have happened to Amber," she said.

"As we suspect Amber may be being held somewhere against her will, to those people involved, we're pleading with you to do the right thing, to right this wrong and please let her come home safely to us," she added, her voice breaking with emotion.

Portage RCMP have been to the home of McFarland's ex-boyfriend, who was charged in May with assaulting the woman. Friends have said McFarland was talking to the man at the bar the night of her disappearance.

RCMP have declined to comment on that aspect of their investigation, saying only that they are speaking with "anyone and everyone" who might know something about McFarland's whereabouts.

Manitoba Search and Rescue is co-ordinating a search in the area involving as many as 40 trained search-and-rescue members, search dogs, and any volunteers who can help.

Volunteers are asked to report at the Alliance Church in Portage la Prairie Friday morning.

McFarland has blond hair and green eyes and is about five feet seven inches tall and 135 pounds. She was wearing a black sweater and blue jeans when she was last seen.

Anyone who has information on McFarland's whereabouts should call Portage la Prairie RCMP at (204) 857-4445 or Manitoba Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.