According to the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, the 39-year-old woman was being treated in hospital as of press time.
The RNC issued a press release shortly before noon advising it was actively searching for the Corner Brook resident. She had been reported missing at around 10:15 a.m. and had last been seen around 11 p.m. Tuesday.
The RNC said there was a concern for the woman’s safety.
Less than an hour after the press release was issued, the woman’s car was located on the parking lot of the Pinchgut Lake Restaurant and Convenience Store on the Trans-Canada Highway, about 15 kilometres west of Corner Brook.
When The Western Star arrived on the scene, the woman had been transported to Western Memorial Regional Hospital. An RCMP cruiser and an RCMP forensic identification services van were parked near the woman’s car.
Two RCMP officers were about 100 metres away from the parking lot, near the tree line of the surrounding forest. They could not elaborate on the nature of their investigation at that point.
“We were able to locate the car and, from there, officers began searching,” said Insp. Terry Corbin of the RNC late Wednesday afternoon. “From there, with the use of a police dog, members were able to locate the missing person.”
Corbin confirmed the woman was not in the car when she was found, but could not comment on her condition or the circumstances around her ending up where she did.
He said the RCMP were involved since the car and the woman were found outside of the RNC’s jurisdiction, but the investigation into the incident has been handed back over to the RNC.
gkean@thewesternstar.com
Twitter: WS_GaryKean
