Volunteers search for missing Whitehorse teenager

About 40 people, from family members to complete strangers, combed riverbanks around Whitehorse over the weekend in a search for a teenage girl missing for over a month.

Angel Carlick, 19, was last seen in late May, around the time of her high school graduation. On Saturday, family, friends and volunteers met at the Blue Feather Youth Centre, where the young woman had worked.

"I could just put myself in their situation," said Danyea Selima, who did not know Carlick but wanted to show support for the family. "If anything like this were to happen with my two girls, it would be just heartbreaking if no one were there to help out."

Searchers did not find any clues to Carlick's disappearance Saturday, but organizers say they will keep a map of the areas they have not searched at the youth centre for organizations, volunteers or others who want to help out in the coming days.

A number of rumours have swirled around the city as to Carlick's whereabouts something her mother, Wndy Carlick, said has notbeen helpful. But she added she's grateful that people have turned out to help search for her daughter.

"I'm really proud of them, you know. They're standing up for me," Carlick said. "How strong can you be, when you see people come together like this for one purpose, and for the love of my life?"

Irma Scarff, who knew Angel Carlick and helped organize Saturday's search, said the hardest part is not knowing what happened to her friend.

"Every time I came downtown from work, I'd see her mother walking around by herself, searching for her daughter," Scarff said.

"It was just so much. I've seen so much hurt and pain on her face [and] I thought as a community, we have to come together and help in some way."

Scarff said she was disappointed to see no RCMP officers helping in the weekend search. One officer showed up to tell volunteers what to do if they found anything of interest to Carlick's case.

"You'd think there'd be lots of people here, especially the RCMP off-duty officers," Scarff said. "Nobody showed up."

But the RCMP say they have come up with nothing to date from their own searches and leads. Const. Mark Janus said the police are encouraged to see community members get involved.

"It's a very good proactive measure on their part," Janus said. "Certainly [we] are hoping that if they do come across something that's suspicious in nature, that they would contact us immediately."

A search along the riverside on Saturday, produced garbage, used syringes, condoms and even clothing, but searchers were not sure if any of the clothing belonged to Carlick.

Scarff said the volunteers are prepared for the possibility of finding Carlick. At the very least, she said, it would bring closure to those closest to her.