Perhaps the worst fear every parent has is losing a child. For Anne and Mark Chambers, this weekend brought that fear too close to home.
Their 20-year-old daughter Alyssa left their home with a friend for a short walk in Mono Cliffs Provincial Park at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, along with Tara, their pet Shih Tzu. Knowing that family Christmas would begin promptly at 6 p.m., Alyssa promised to be home to see her godparents before then.
But at 7 p.m., Alyssa was still not home. By 8 p.m., Anne was past angry and worried about her daughter’s whereabouts. She sent Mark to the cliffs to find their daughter and called friends for support. It wasn’t long before Mark called Anne to tell her he was unable to find the car in the parking lots around the cliffs.
Anne called 911. An officer arrived at the house immediately. The police checked local clubs, restaurants and bars hoping to spot her. Eventually they found Alyssa’s vehicle in the Mono Cliffs Education Centre parking lot. Search parties made up of the park ranger, OPP, Orangeville Police Department and two dog teams began to comb the park.
Alyssa had planned to show her city friend a short view of the park. Having visited the cliffs with her parents, she remembered that the path looped around back to the parking lot. A couple of cross-country skiers confirmed the route and Alyssa and her friend started their walk.
But an hour later, as dusk...