Searchers find body of missing mushroom picker

The search for a woman who went missing while picking mushrooms in a forest north of Smeaton has ended in a tragic discovery.

On Sunday, searchers found the body of Lois Chartrand in a forested area about one kilometre from where she was last seen.

The 74-year-old woman went missing on the morning of Aug. 4 while she was searching for mushrooms in the area. The RCMP said she became separated from the person she was with despite the pair being connected by a two-way radio.

The Mounties were able to contact Chartrand on her radio early the next morning, but that was the last they heard from her.

High-tech equipment was used in the search and volunteers scoured the thick forest along the Hanson Lake Road, but Chartrand wasn’t located until Sunday.

In a media release Monday, the RCMP thanked all of the organizations that participated in the search.

“We also thank community members and Lois’s loved ones, who — despite the stressful circumstances — ensured all searchers were fed and supported,” the release said.