William Oberkiser
Search Underway for an American Man, 65, Missing While Hunting in Newfoundland
Source: PNI Atlantic
Published: October 12, 2011
URL: https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/news/local/search-underway-for-an-american-man-65-missing-while-hunting-in-newfoundland-115812/
BUCHANS — A search is underway for a 65-year-old American man who has gone missing while hunting in Newfoundland.
William Oberkiser of Indiana was hunting in the Buchans area when he was reported overdue by his family on Monday.
Oberkiser’s vehicle was found stuck on the Bottom Brook Road, several kilometres from the Trans-Canada Highway.
The RCMP believes the hunter was heading to a hunting camp in the Buchans area when he disappeared.
A volunteer search and rescue team and the RCMP, with a helicopter, are currently involved in the search.
Oberkiser is described by his family as an experienced outdoorsman with no known health issues.
U.S. Hunter Reported Missing
Source: CBC News
Published: October 13, 2011, 5:26 PM EDT
URL: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/u-s-hunter-reported-missing-1.1000712
William Oberkiser, 65, a resident of Indiana, was apparently heading to a hunting camp in the Buchans area. His truck was found about nine miles off the Trans-Canada Highway, east of a road that connects the Bay St. George area to Burgeo.
Family members told police that they had not heard from Oberkiser. His truck was first spotted in that location on Sunday.
RCMP said Oberkiser's family described him as an experienced outdoorsman with no known health problems.
The search has been focused on a side road known as Bottom Brook Road.
Members of the Barachois Brook Volunteer Search and Rescue unit were assisting in the search.
Oberkiser is described as standing five-foot-eleven and weighing about 200 pounds. He has blue eyes, wears glasses, and has blond hair.
Worst Feared for American Hunter Lost in Newfoundland
Source: The Canadian Press
Published: Friday, October 14, 2011, 6:42 PM EDT
URL: https://www.ctvnews.ca/worst-feared-for-american-hunter-lost-in-newfoundland-1.711269
BUCHANS, N.L. — RCMP say the search for an American man who went missing while hunting in Newfoundland is now considered a recovery mission.
William Oberkiser of Indiana was hunting in the Buchans area when he was reported overdue by his family on Monday.
The 65-year-old's vehicle was found stuck on a road several kilometres from the Trans-Canada Highway.
The Mounties say an air search has been exhausted and there are no plans for it to resume.
A ground search will continue. However, it has been suspended until Sunday because of high winds and rain in the forecast.
RCMP have said it's believed Oberkiser was heading to a hunting camp in the Buchans area when he disappeared.
Search Resumes for Missing Hunter
Source: CBC News
Published: October 16, 2011, 10:56 AM EDT
Last Updated: October 16, 2011
URL: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/search-resumes-for-missing-hunter-1.1046805
Search crews went back to the woods of western Newfoundland Sunday morning in an effort to locate a missing American hunter.
Indiana resident William Oberkiser, 65, disappeared a week ago while on a hunting trip on the island.
Oberkiser's truck was found on a woods road about 15 kilometres from the Trans-Canada Highway, but there has been no other sign of him.
Bad weather on Saturday grounded the search, but conditions improved Sunday and search and rescue teams returned to the area.
A spokesperson for the RCMP said their air search is over and the mission is now being considered a recovery operation.
The search plans were expected to be reassessed later on Sunday.
Steuben County Man Missing in Canada
By: Matt Getts
Source: KPC News
Published: October 17, 2011
URL: https://www.kpcnews.com/news/latest/article_1c888b55-fcac-5648-bae1-0bea73a56f49.html
NEWFOUNDLAND, Canada — Canadian authorities continue to search for a Steuben County resident who was last seen on October 9 en route to a hunting trip, with officials fearing the worst.
William Oberkiser, 65, was last seen traveling alone on a ferry to Newfoundland, an island off Canada’s Atlantic coast, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. His family reported him missing on October 11.
Oberkiser grew up in Fort Wayne and currently resides on Big Turkey Lake.
A news release dated Friday described the search as being “recovery in nature.”
“We still have a glimpse of hope that he may be found alive, but each day shreds that thought,” said RCMP Sgt. Boyd Merrill. He added that most people missing in the woods for six days or more are not found alive.
Monday marked the ninth day since Oberkiser was last seen.
Oberkiser’s Ford F150 pickup was first spotted Sunday, October 9, on Bottom Brook Road — an extremely rural area approximately nine miles off a larger roadway. On October 10, the vehicle was observed in the same location, stuck on a stump, according to the RCMP.
According to Sgt. Merrill, Oberkiser had turned off the Trans-Canada Highway onto a gravel road suitable for two-lane travel. After three miles, he continued down a path that Merrill described as “overgrown and unfit for most ATVs.” Oberkiser reportedly drove another six miles, crossing two rivers and one stream.
“We had trouble getting our four-wheel police vehicles to this area,” Merrill said. “A special tow truck and chainsaws were needed to recover the vehicle.”
A search helicopter and volunteers have been assisting RCMP officers in the search.
“We have no idea why Oberkiser would have used that route,” Merrill said.
After a meeting with the Stephenville and Barachois Brook Volunteer Search and Rescue teams on Monday morning, emergency personnel and the Bay St. George RCMP decided to conduct a higher-ground search adjacent to the location where Oberkiser’s vehicle was found.
RCMP Police Service Dog teams and SAR personnel began final sweep searches of areas a person might logically travel if faced with similar conditions at the time the vehicle became stuck.
Although these areas had already been searched, police aimed to re-examine the immediate surroundings on higher ground. According to authorities, all search actions would be reviewed later Monday to determine if further steps were needed.
Oberkiser is described by his family as an experienced outdoorsman with no known health issues.
An aunt who lives in Fort Wayne described him as “very sporty” in terms of fishing and hunting. She said she continues to pray for her nephew but declined to give her name.
According to Steuben County Sheriff Tim Troyer, his department is assisting Canadian authorities in the investigation.
Oberkiser’s Son, Daughter Holding Out Hope
By: Frank Gale, PNI Atlantic
Published: October 17, 2011
URL: https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/federal-election/oberkisers-son-daughter-holding-out-hope-115807/
STEPHENVILLE — Brian Oberkiser and his sister Tanya are coming to Newfoundland in hopes of finding their father, William Oberkiser, alive. In the event he is not, they are still holding out hope that his remains will be found.
It has been a difficult time for the Oberkiser family, including their grandfather Earl, since hearing that William’s pickup truck was found abandoned on Bottom Brook Road. The family reported William missing on October 11. His vehicle had been seen in that area on the two days prior.
Searches have been ongoing since the truck was located and intensified over the weekend, involving both the Stephenville-Kippens-Port au Port and the Barachois Search and Rescue teams. A helicopter assisted in the early phase of the search.
RCMP Sgt. Chris Gladney and his search dog, Tom, remained on site Tuesday as part of a scaled-down search. They led a group up a steep mountainside on Monday and resumed searching around the truck and a nearby brook on Tuesday.
Brian described his father as an experienced hunter who had traveled extensively to hunt, but noted that he was more accustomed to Indiana’s terrain, which differs greatly from Newfoundland’s dense woods. William had hunted in Newfoundland about six times and had come alone on at least one previous occasion.
This trip was intended to be William’s last hunting trip to Newfoundland. Brian said no one was able to accompany him this time due to the high cost, which had discouraged other hunters.
One detail that puzzles both the RCMP and the family is why William ended up on Bottom Brook Road, when Burgeo Road would have been the correct route to reach his hunting destination in the Buchans area.
“All we can guess is that he might have gone there to see a new part of the area that he hadn’t seen before. Really, nobody can figure that out,” Brian said.
He and Tanya had their passports ready and were working on securing flights to Newfoundland for Thursday.
Brian expressed appreciation for the people they had been working with in Newfoundland, especially Cpl. Howard Gale of the Bay St. George RCMP, whom he had been in contact with daily.
Although Brian’s parents are divorced, his mother was also deeply upset. She assisted Tanya with travel arrangements on Tuesday evening.
“If he’s not found alive, we hope he can still be found so that we can give dad a decent burial,” Brian said.
Hunter Search Now a Recovery Effort
Source: CBC News
Published: October 17, 2011, 11:28 AM EDT
URL: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/hunter-search-now-a-recovery-effort-1.1053478
Crews in western Newfoundland say their search for an American hunter whose truck was found grounded in a deeply wooded area is now a recovery mission.
William Oberkiser, 65, of Indiana, was reported missing last week. His truck was found stuck on a tree stump on an unpaved path about 15 kilometres from the Trans-Canada Highway.
Searchers have so far been unable to find any sign of Oberkiser. His truck, which was locked and undisturbed, still contained his personal papers, hearing aids, and guns.
According to his family, Oberkiser had been heading to the Buchans area for a hunting trip.
Police met with ground search and rescue teams from Stephenville and Barachois Brook on Monday morning before beginning a sweep of the area. Dog units from the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary also joined the effort.
Barachois Search and Rescue co-ordinator Barry Nash said the current effort is scaled down compared to the previous week.
"Today, they will probably work till dark and then it will be reassessed as it is every day, on a day-to-day basis in conjunction with the RCMP," he said.
The search has involved more than 20 people, a helicopter crew, and an amphibious all-terrain vehicle supplied by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
Stroh Hunter Missing in Canada Feared Dead
Source: WANE 15 News
Aired: October 17, 2011
Video: Watch on YouTube
What began as an annual hunting trip for a northeastern Indiana man has turned into an international mystery.
William Oberkiser, 65, a seasoned outdoorsman from Stroh, Indiana, has been missing since Sunday, October 9, after traveling to Newfoundland, Canada. He was last heard from on the nights of October 5 and 6, when he spoke with his father, 86-year-old Earl Oberkiser, who lives with him on Big Turkey Lake. After that, all communication stopped.
Oberkiser had a long-standing tradition of hunting in Newfoundland, where he once bagged a record-setting bear. But this trip was different. He was last seen disembarking a ferry on October 9. A fellow hunter later noticed that his truck had been sitting in the same location for several days, stuck on a log and apparently abandoned. He reported it to authorities.
"The truck was locked, but it was stuck over a log and he couldn’t get it off," Earl explained. "We think he went to get help and got lost. That’s all we know."
As of October 17, Canadian authorities had been searching for several days without success. Despite the efforts of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and volunteer rescue teams, there have been no signs of William.
His family is preparing for the worst.
"I think right now that we are at the end of the rope," Earl said. "God knows where he’s at, but we don’t. I hope God’s taking good care of him."
As the days pass, the hope of finding William alive is fading. Still, the family is holding on, praying for answers in a remote wilderness far from home.
Police News for Oct. 18 — Hunter Missing in Newfoundland
By: Staff Report
Source: The Goshen News
Published: October 18, 2011
URL: https://www.goshennews.com/news/local_news/police-news-for-oct-18/article_c5b89321-187a-5600-ba6e-02e99c035d1a.html
Hunter Missing in Newfoundland
A Stroh man’s family fears that he is dead after being missing in the backwoods of Newfoundland for more than a week.
A Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokesman says 65-year-old William Oberkiser was last seen on October 9 on a ferry that took him to the island off Canada’s Atlantic coast. Sgt. Boyd Merrill said Oberkiser’s truck was found locked and apparently undisturbed, but stuck atop a stump on a primitive road.
Searches involving police dogs and helicopters since Thursday have been unsuccessful.
Brian Oberkiser said his father had traveled to Newfoundland about six times to hunt for moose. He has lived at Big Turkey Lake in LaGrange County since retiring as an American Electric Power lineman.
Search for Missing Hunter Scaled Back
By: Matt Getts
Source: KPC News
Published: October 19, 2011
URL: https://www.kpcnews.com/news/latest/article_96001c2c-6b42-51c7-94ee-25d84858f8b0.html
NEWFOUNDLAND, Canada — Citing a diminishing likelihood of finding him alive, authorities in Canada have scaled back rescue-recovery efforts for a Steuben County man who went missing while en route to a hunting trip.
William Oberkiser, 65, was last seen on October 9, traveling alone on a ferry that took him to Newfoundland, an island province off Canada’s Atlantic coast, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). His family reported him missing on October 11.
A news release sent Tuesday morning from the RCMP described a “scaled-down search effort.”
“At some point, emergency officials will have to call off the search for the missing man who has been in the woods for nine nights,” said RCMP Sgt. Boyd Merrill.
Oberkiser grew up in Fort Wayne and now lives on Big Turkey Lake.
Searchers, led by an RCMP officer with his trained dog, covered a steep mountainside Monday, hoping Oberkiser had sought high ground to get cell phone reception.
RCMP Sgt. Chris Gladney and his dog "Tom" were back in the search area Tuesday.
Search Back On for Missing U.S. Hunter
Source: CBC News
Published: October 20, 2011, 1:02 PM EDT
URL: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/search-back-on-for-missing-u-s-hunter-1.1031308
Searchers returned to the woods near the Burgeo Highway on Thursday in an effort to locate a missing American hunter.
Indiana resident William Oberkiser, 65, was reported missing after his truck was found in a deeply wooded area about 15 kilometres from the Trans-Canada Highway on October 9.
In a statement released on Thursday, the RCMP said the search had resumed after hunters in the area reported hearing a voice in the distance on Wednesday evening.
"It is unknown at this time whether this was the missing man," the statement said.
Police, the Barachois Brook Volunteer Search and Rescue team, and a military Cormorant helicopter are actively searching the area.