Last seen in Ucluelet, wife of one man says it’s now a ‘heartbreaking’ disappearance The wife of one of two missing British Columbia sailors says her husband’s dream voyage has become a nightmare as days pass without word from him. Leah Bliss said her friends, and psychics, are telling her to hold onto the thread of hope that her husband, Daniel Archibald, is somewhere safe, but it’s been almost a month since he disappeared. She said she’s had to prepare their two daughters, nine and five years old, for the worst. “It’s really difficult explaining to children a situation like this,” said Bliss. “It’s even difficult for adults to grasp the concept of missing. When I told (my daughters) I tried to be as honest as possible. I explained he was missing but it didn’t look good.” The RCMP said the disappearance of Archibald and Ryan Daley is considered suspicious and is under investigation by the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit. READ MORE: SAR teams join search for missing men last seen in Ucluelet Police said Archibald, 37, and Daley, 43, were last seen May 16 walking from the harbour dock area in Ucluelet on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. The two men can be seen on video carrying their backpacks and duffel bags. The pair had arrived in Ucluelet on May 13 after a lengthy voyage from Panama on board a sailboat. Ucluelet dockmaster Kevin Cortes, who was the last person to see them on May 16, said they had paid for one month of moorage for the boat. Cortes said Archibald and Daley appeared healthy but tired after a long trip, adding he noticed nothing unusual about them during the three days they spent in Ucluelet. RCMP Cpl. Madonna Saunderson said Wednesday police had no new details to report but an active investigation continues. Bliss said she and friends and relatives were on their way back to Vancouver Island Wednesday from where the family lives in Squamish, B.C., to search the many logging roads and ravines along the winding 100-kilometre stretch of the Pacific Rim Highway between Port Alberni and Ucluelet. READ MORE: Police following up on “multiple tips” for missing Vancouver Island men “We have so many psychics telling us that Dan is still alive somewhere,” she said. “You don’t know what to believe. We hope he’s alive out there somewhere but I have no sign of that.” Bliss said her husband sounded in good spirits and nothing seemed out of the ordinary in her most recent phone conversations with him. “Even when I last spoke to him, he seemed really well rested and happy. Just excited,” she said. “I have no idea what’s gone on. That’s just really trying to piece the puzzle together.” Bliss said Archibald and Daley were looking for a ride from Ucluelet to Jordan River, located by car about 350 kilometres south. Daley lived at Jordan River. “Who did they get a ride with? That’s the real question,” she said. “That’s where it ends.” Bliss said her husband was a life-long sailor and the voyage from Panama to the West Coast was a great adventure for him. She said he bought the vessel two years ago in hopes of using it to start a sailing and charter business in B.C. “He’s never done a long trip like that,” said Bliss. “For him it was just a dream to have that time to be able to sail it back up here. The plan was to have it fixed up there for a reasonable rate and bring it back up.” She described her husband as a trusting person who did not create enemies. “He was a soft-spoken, kind-hearted, considerate person who never really pushed anybody’s buttons or anything,” said Bliss. “He’s just a good guy. He’s a hippie. It’s hard to imagine anybody would want to do anything to these guys.” The Canadian Press Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.<doc-sep>Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook Police on Vancouver Island say the remains of two people have been discovered near Ucluelet. Investigators are working with the BC Coroners Service to identify the remains, which were found late last week by a woman walking her dog. Police said it is too early to determine whether the remains are of Ryan Daley and Daniel Archbald, two Vancouver Island men who haven’t been seen since May 16. WATCH: B.C. men vanish after sailboat trip from Panama to Ucluelet 2:10 B.C. men vanish after sailboat trip from Panama to Ucluelet B.C. men vanish after sailboat trip from Panama to Ucluelet – May 29, 2018 The pair had returned from a trip and had docked in Ucluelet on May 13. Story continues below advertisement They were reported missing to the police after failing to contact family and friends when they arrived home. RCMP determined the case is suspicious and turned it over to the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit (VIIMCU), who continue to investigate. “We are working with the families of the missing men and ask that their privacy be respected at this time,” the RCMP said in a release.<doc-sep>Police and RCMP are investigating the remains of two people discovered last week near Ucluelet, B.C. Police say a woman walking her dog came across the remains, although the exact location is unclear. A major crime unit comprised of Vancouver Island police departments and the RCMP are working with the BC Coroners Service to identify the remains. Police say it's too early to know whether the remains belong to two missing men. Ryan Daley, 43, and Daniel Archbald, 37, were last seen leaving a marina in Ucluelet on May 16. Daniel Archbald, 37, and Ryan Daley, 43, were last seen leaving the Ucluelet Small Craft Harbour on May 16. RCMP say their disappearance is suspicious. (RCMP) They had just returned to Canada after an eight-week sailing trip from Panama. Family and volunteers have been searching for them since. RCMP say their disappearance is being treated as suspicious. Archbald's wife, Leah Bliss, says autopsies are being done on the remains and that she expects to know more later this week. A Facebook page to help with search efforts for the missing men has been taken down. A GoFundMe page for them was deactivated Monday, but has since been into split into two separate campaigns. Read more from CBC British Columbia With files from Elizabeth McArthur<doc-sep>
Family members and friends of Dan Archbald, 37, and Ryan Daley, 43, have begun a search on Vancouver Island after the two men disappeared on May 16. The pair had just wrapped up an eight week sailing trip from Panama to Ucluelet and were headed to the small surfing hamlet of Jordan River where Daley owns a property. They did not have a car, and it's unclear if they had planned to hitchhike or had arranged a ride. Daley's father, Terry Daley, says they were expecting to lose contact with the two men for a short time because of spotty cell service, but eventually he grew concerned when no one had heard from them. "We didn't really get really concerned until a few days ago ... and they have lots of friends, so maybe they just needed some space after spending so long on a sailboat." Daley says it's unusual for his son to be out of contact for more than two or three days. Correy Matheson travelled to Ucluelet from her home in Squamish after speaking to Archbald's wife Leah on Saturday. "We are all beside ourselves about the time that we've lost, and we just hope that somebody saw something or heard something and that will reach out." Matheson says Archbald is devoted to his two young daughters, and it's very unusual for him to not be in contact with them. Volunteers are distributing missing posters as they search for the two men (Facebook/Find Dan and Ryan) The two men were last seen leaving the Ucluelet Small Craft Harbour on May 16. Kevin Courtes is the harbour manager and says they arrived three days earlier and spent time getting Archbald's sailboat, the Astral Blue, assessed as he worked out import taxes with the Canada Border Services Agency. Courtes says the day before they left, Archbald paid for a month of moorage for his boat. "I have security footage of them, of Dan leaving my office, grabbing the pack and him and Ryan leaving through my parking lot yes, but that's as far as it goes. They go off screen with their packs. I have nothing else." Courtes says he thinks it's unlikely they were hitchhiking given the direction they were headed, but he says they didn't give him any indication of how or where they were travelling. The people looking for Archbald and Daley are co-ordinating with volunteers searching for Ben Kilmer, another man who went missing near Duncan on the same day. The RCMP have opened a missing persons file and are asking anyone with information to contact them.