Search for missing elderly boater in Oakville curtailed

After roughly 40 hours scouring the water and shoreline along Lake Ontario in Oakville, the search for a missing elderly boater has been curtailed.

We're still doing our searches in a local capacity," noted Oakville Staff Sgt. Cyrus Irani Saturday afternoon (Aug. 28), when the incident fell to Halton police as a missing person's case.

Multiple rescue agencies descended the local waters Thursday night after the discovery of an empty vessel that appeared to be adrift near the mouth of Sixteen Mile Creek near Lakeside Park while a storm was moving through the area.

It was determined that the vessel was purchased earlier in the day. The man who purchased the vessel was believed to have boarded the vessel alone and left Bronte Harbor at about 12:30 p.m.

An overnight search was conducted with the help of Peel and Hamilton Police marine units along with TOWARF marine rescue and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC), the release says. Authorities used flares to enhance visibility during the night search.

Robert Wyles, the missing 80-year-old man who doesn't reside in Halton, has been described as an experienced boater.

- with files from Bambang Sadewo and Louie Rosella