Poor weather hinders search efforts for missing Natuashish teen

The search for a missing teenager from Natuashish is scaling back Monday, as heavy snowfall hampers the ground search efforts.

• Air search for Natuashish teen grounded by weather
• Helicopter, snowmobiles being used in search for missing Natuashish teen

KirbyMistenapeo,17,was reported missing afterhe didn't return home Wednesday night.

Ground crews using snowmobilesare waiting to resumetheir search of aY-shapedvalley south ofNatuashish, where it joins theSangoBay area, as well as the resettledcommunity of Davis Inletabout 18 kilometres fromNatuashish.

However, searchers must wait until weather conditions improve before heading back out.

In the meantime, a helicopter left Happy Valley-Goose Bay around 1:45 p.m. Monday to restart an aerial searchof theLabrador coastal community.

No leads

Police and the local fire department received an unconfirmed report on Thursday that the young man was spotted in the community,but no one seems to know where he went since then.

Earlier Monday, RCMPCpl. Rick Mills told CBC's Labrador Morning that the search has been especially difficult given there are virtually no leads as to where Mistenapeo may be located.

"One of the challenges we are faced with is that we don't really have a starting point for the search," Millssaid.

"So really, we don't know where he went or where he could have gone."

Mills said searchers have been systematically going door-to-door, making sure to check every house in the community.

Snowmobiles and aircraft have also been searching trails and wooded areas that spread out from the town.

The police are asking anyone with details on thewhereabouts of the teento call Natuashish RCMP at709-478-8900.