About 100 people are involved in the search for 34-year old Kimberly Cardinal, who was last seen leaving a friend’s home in Saddle Lake around 11 p.m. on April 23.
A mother of three, Cardinal’s family reported her missing May 6.
According to her aunt, Geraldine Cardinal, RCMP confirmed there hadn’t been any bank activity in that time. The family began searching for Kimberly on May 7. They were joined by St. Paul Search and Rescue, Saddle Lake Smokeaters, the Horseman’s Club, RCMP, and other volunteers from the community on May 8.
On May 9, a base camp for the search had been set up in a field beside an oil lease road about a mile west of the North-South Road in Saddle Lake, just past the Northside Store. The camp is located about a mile east of the home where Kimberly was last seen and not far from where searchers found her jacket on May 8.
“Her son confirmed it yesterday that it was her jacket,” said Geraldine. “Her oldest boy (age 14) was out here yesterday searching, but he stayed home today.”
Also present for the search on Thursday were Kimberly’s parents, her 10-year-old son, and her 12-year-old daughter Lola.
“I’m sad because I miss her,” said Lola. “She’s really nice and beautiful. I just miss her.”
Geraldine said it’s been hard for everyone in the family.
“When you’re out here searching you’re having that hope that she’s out there someplace instead of over here. That’s what gives us that hope she’s out there someplace else. And then you have that breakdown every now and then and it’s like reality is hitting you. She’s gone,” said Geraldine.
According to Leon Moosewah, the Director of Emergency Management for Saddle Lake Cree Nation, people with ATVs and horses have covered a fair bit of ground, while groups of 20 are searching particular areas of the bush.
“St. Paul Search and Rescue are using their drone, they’re down by the creek and searching the sloughs, the areas where the horses, volunteers, and quads can’t get to they fly over,” said Moosewah.
The big challenge for everyone is the difficult terrain and the wildlife. Cougars and bears have been spotted by searchers.
“They go out in groups so there’s no danger to them. But that and people getting fatigued from walking so long, trekking through the bush and all these hills.”
He said their goal is to cover as much area as they can.
“Our biggest fear is finding her in one of these areas. Hopefully she’s safe somewhere else and just hasn’t been able to contact anybody. We just want to eliminate all the area where we think she might be,” said Moosewah.
A ground search normally continues for three days.
“As far as our resources go, that’s as far as we can push them because they’re all volunteers but they also do other types of work and we just can’t utilize them for longer than that three-day period,” said Moosewah.
Kimberly is indigenous and has brown hair and eyes. She is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs approximately 200 pounds. She also has a scar on her back shoulder. Anyone who has seen her or knows where she might be is asked to contact the St. Paul RCMP at 780-645-8870.
