Father of woman missing in B.C. fundraises for drones to help other families
VANCOUVER — John Simpson is determined to use the novel experience he gained in a troubling search for his daughter to help others who have lost loved ones.
Ashley Simpson went missing in Salmon Arm, B.C., in April 2016, and this spring her father travelled there from Ontario for a second time. He believed her body might be along the banks of a river or creek.
The area had been flooded and it was too dangerous to search on foot, but Simpson had an idea. He told friends he wanted to borrow a drone, and was put in touch with a surprisingly young expert — a 14-year-old boy with a fleet of drones and a strong commitment to his hobby.
“It really got me thinking,” said Simpson in a recent phone interview from his home in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.