The trail for a missing Australian man may have connections to the Lac La Biche area.
Owen Rooney’s family has been searching for him since the 24 year old, who was staying in Grand Forks, British Columbia lost contact with them in August and was last seen leaving a Grand Forks hospital where he had been dropped off by a policeman who thought the young man had been beaten up after attending the Shambhala Music Festival
Sightings of Rooney have been reported across Alberta, with one man saying he had coffee with the Australian in an Edmonton truck stop where Rooney said he was on his way to a job with a trucking company in Lac La Biche.
The Post was first alerted to the local connection on Jan. 1 through an Internet news alert from the Daily Telegraph newspaper which covers Rooney’s home community in New South Wales.
Several attempts to reach the newspaper by the Post for more details about the man have been unsuccessful, but recent reports say his passport and personal belongings were all left at the place he was staying in BC. Follow-up reports have also suggested that Rooney may have been under the influence of halucinogetic drugs when he was allegedly beaten up after the concert.
In Lac La Biche, several trucking companies were contacted by the Post but staff hadn’t heard of Rooney, and said they haven’t had any Australians matching his description working with them in recent months. There have been reports of people seeing him in the area selling dream catchers in the early weeks of October.
Local RCMP say they have not been directly contacted by any police agencies in British Columbia, but Staff Sgt. Henry Van Dorland says he is familiar with the story about the man, and believes local police will be on the lookout for anyone matching his description.
Rooney is described as five feet, nine inches tall, and weighing 160 pounds. He has an Australian accent.
As of Sunday, the Rooney family was in Alberta looking for Owen, and following up on leads placed on the “find Owen” facebook page.
