As the search effort continues for a missing Timmins teen this week, many searchers and police officers remember that it was exactly five years ago that authorities first got word that an elderly man had failed to return home from berry picking. He was never to be found.
That man, 78-year old Luciano “Lou” Trinaistich, left his home in Porcupine on Tuesday July 24th, 2007 in the early afternoon. He was fond of berry picking in an area along Murphy Road. When Tranaistich had not returned home for supper in the early evening, family members became worried. Timmins Police were notified and began searching in popular bush areas on the fringe of the city.
The missing man’s vehicle, a light blue Jeep Grand Cherokee, was discovered on a narrow bush road in Murphy Township, an area the man was familiar with. The vehicle was not locked. The windows were down. The area was thick with ripe blueberries and raspberries that week.
Ontario Provincial Police had jurisdiction over the search area and within hours, brought in teams of searchers with ATVs, a canine-team and helicopters.
Initially, police had solid hopes that Trinaistich would be found, given that he had been a successful berry picker for many years and was experienced in bush travel.
“Basically when the search is called in we’re assuming we’re searching for a live responsive person,” said OPP search manager Sgt. Grant Ayres at that time.
“So our search is focused, and our search methods are basically in that direction — calling out his name, trying to cover as much area as we can as quickly as we can — in order to give us the best chance that we’ll be able to find the gentleman alive and in the best condition possible,” he said.
“It’s the hope you will find the missing person, there’s all kinds of stories out there you know where people have been lost for lengthy periods of time and are still found alive so that and the fact you want to find the person for the family as well, and give the best effort, and that’s what we’ll do,” Ayres said that week.
Rumours circulated around the city that he was the victim of a bear attack; that he fell down a remote mine shaft; that he was abducted or that he fell into a creek and drowned. Nothing was found. No clothing, no indications of any foul play, not even cigarette butts even though Trinaistich was known to smoke DuMaurier cigarettes.
Police even consulted geological and mining maps to explore the possibility that the man fell into some old mine workings.
In the second week of the search, a final push was made to go over old ground previously searched, just in case something was missed. Nothing was found. Other than his vehicle, there was not a scrap of evidence to indicate that Trinaistich has been in the area. Police even carried out a canvas of the man’s neighbourhood and did a thorough background check to determine if there was anything that might have led to foul play. Nothing.
The decision was made by OPP to “suspend” the search. That means the case remains open, but active search efforts will not be carried out unless there is some new and compelling evidence. That has not happened.
The story of the disappearance of Luciano Tranaistich is puzzling but by no means is it unique. Over the years in Northern Ontario, literally dozens of berry pickers, hikers, campers and others, have disappeared without a trace.