Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini has now been missing for eight days and the search continues.
As of the publication of this story, Greater Sudbury Police Service has provided no updates over the weekend on the status of the search for the city councillor.
As reported on Friday, Greater Sudbury Police along with North Shore Search and Rescue began conducting an active grid search in remote areas along Old Highway 17 and in the McCharles Lake Road and Panache Lake Road areas.
The last confirmed sighting of Vagnini was on Jan. 27 when a surveillance camera captured his pickup truck travelling westbound on McCharles Lake Road, between Whitefish and Naughton, GSPS officers and more than a dozen civilian searchers are part of the effort, trudging through knee-deep snow and heavy brush in an effort to find Vagnini.
While that search is underway, an overhead search effort continued this weekend with the aid of a Ontario Provincial Police helicopter. No word has been issued on whether anything has been seen.
In the past, helicopters have been helpful by eliminating areas where the missing person or their vehicle has not been seen, freeing up time and resources for searching other areas.
Part of the Greater Sudbury Police Service (GSPS) search effort for missing city councilor Michael Vagnini involves the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones.
GSPS Const. Marc Savignac was operating one of the devices Friday. He used the device to search an area based on information provided by a civilian who may have seen a person or footprints in a specific area along Panache Lake Road.
Besides the official search by police and rescuers, private citizens have taken it upon themselves to conduct their own searches in those wooded areas west of the urban parts of the city.
Social media is flooded with posts from supporters, expressing their hopes that Vagnini will be found alive.
Vagnini, 62, was last seen Jan. 27 driving a black 2021 Ram 1500 truck with Ontario licence plate BK 22178. It has a broken passenger side tail light.
Vagnini was last seen wearing a bright yellow hooded sweater, green pants and black running shoes. Earlier in the day, he was seen wearing an Erie Otters jersey over top of the yellow hooded sweater. He does not have his phone with him.
Anyone who spoke with Michael in the days prior to Jan. 27, and who has not already spoken with police, is asked to call a dedicated tip line at 705-675-9171 Ext. 2320. Detectives are looking to gather additional information regarding conversations prior to Vagnini going missing.
