‘VERY WORRIED’

Fears Over Fate of Australian Hiker, 24, Missing in Canada Bear Country

Authorities are searching for her after she failed to return from a trip.

Friends and family of an Australian woman have asked for any information about her whereabouts after she went missing in Canadian bear country. Julia-Mary Lane, 24, had been living in Alberta since January but recently traveled into British Columbia for a road trip, her roommate, Janet Hamilton, wrote on social media. Hamilton said she contacted Lane’s parents on Tuesday morning after Lane did not return from a hiking trip at Bear Lake near the town of Kimberley. She added that Lane’s family hadn’t heard from her since Saturday and they’re now “very worried,” saying it was “completely out of character” for Lane not to be in touch. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police launched a search after Lane’s car was found by the lake. Before embarking on her hike, Lane posted in a Facebook group asking to join hikes in the region where she disappeared. “I am comfortable hiking solo but would prefer to go with a group to minimise bear risk of course,” she wrote.