Search for missing Vernon man may be ramped up

The search for a missing Vernon man continues in the McKinley Landing area of Kelowna.

Jordan Mooney was last seen on Sunday night and there has been serious concern for his well-being.

The 24-year-old’s Volkswagen Jetta was found in a construction area about two kilometres up a dirt road earlier this week.

WATCH MORE: Ground search underway for missing Vernon man after vehicle found

Central Okanagan search and rescue (COSAR) crews have been scouring the area since Wednesday night.

Search manager Ephraim Nowak told Global news Friday morning that the eight-person search team is dealing with some tough search conditions.

“The terrain is quite challenging,” he said. “We are dealing with hillsides, we are dealing with swamps, varied terrain for sure.”

On Thursday night, COSAR took to Okanagan Lake in its rescue boat searching along the McKinley Landing shoreline.

On Friday, the search continued on the ground.

Police are also assisting in the search efforts. They used drones and a fixed-wing aircraft on Thursday to search the area from the air. They also brought in police dogs and are conducting the investigation into the disappearance.

“The investigation remains ongoing and very active.,” Kelowna RCMP Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey said in an email to Global News. “Although the search continues,  much more investigative work is being conducted by officers at the Kelowna Detachment and beyond.”

With no sign of Mooney, plans are now underway to ramp up the search.

“The plan at the moment includes scaling up the search on the weekend,” Nowak said. “We may be requesting volunteers from other search and rescue groups like Penticton and Vernon.”

Police are asking the public to stay away from the area to allow searchers to do their job and to give the family, who are on scene, privacy.

“They are here just anxiously waiting to hear any news,” Nowak said.