'To get closure for the family is the biggest thing': Community searches for Alan Richards

Dozens of people from Murray Harbour and Murray River are searching forAlan Richards, the 68-year-old Murray Harbour man who went missing last Wednesday.

People from the tight-knit communitiesstarted doing twice daily searches along the Cape Bear shoreand in zodiacs on the water Saturday in a show of support for his family.

Nobody wants to see the search go on and on and on.- Robert MacLeod, Murray River Fire Department

"My Facebook is full," Murray River Fire Department assistant chief Robert MacLeodtold CBC News about the outpouring of support. "My messages are full. My phone's full with people wanting to help out."

MacLeod saidfirefighters will use boats to search the shore from White Sands to Beach Point today, withabout 60 or 70 people walking the shore.More than 100 people were helping the search on the weekend, including firefighters from Montague, Cardigan and Georgetown.

Some businesses have been bringing food.

Family involved withfire department

MacLeod says he hadworked with Alan Richards' wife and his two sonsinthe Murray Harbour Fire Department.

"To get closure for the family is thebiggest thing," he said. "Nobody wants to see the search go on and on and on. We'd like to get it over with, and get the family into the next stages."

He said the family is also helping out when they can.

Richards was reported missing when he didn't show up for work in Summerside. The search in the Cape Bear area began with RCMP and P.E.I. Ground Search and Rescue on late Wednesday.

By Friday the RCMP said they weretreating the search as a recovery mission.

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