An Australian family is leaving Alberta after an exhaustive search for their loved one.
But just because they aren't in the province physically doesn't mean they are calling off the search for Owen Rooney, they say, adding they will continue networking and putting their efforts into locating him.
Last August, Owen walked out of a hospital in southeastern B.C. and hasn't been heard from since.
Members of his family came to B.C. and Alberta from Australia to conduct an exhaustive search, but have not been successful. They still hope to one day bring him home.
"It's traumatic for all of us. It's a really hard thing to go through. We have no idea what happened to Owen and where he is, if he's safe or not," said his sister Kelly Rooney, who spent Saturday in Okotoks packing up her belongings with her boyfriend.
After a month of searching, they will be boarding a bus at night and heading to B.C. to meet up with the rest of the family.
Owen was last seen in August when he walked away from a hospital in Grand Forks, B.C.
The 25-year-old was badly hurt in a fight, said his family, who believes he may have amnesia and no longer knows who he is.
Their search brought them to Alberta after several reported sightings.
"We haven't had anything concrete yet. We have lots of people who think they've seen him in lots of different situations and lots of different places," Kelly said.
Kelly and her boyfriend have traveled all across Alberta, putting up posters and talking to people.
Their search has been exhaustive and draining, she said.
"We've held onto the hope, the belief that he is out there, he is alive. But in the end you really don't know. But not knowing just kills you."
But the family refuses to give up hope. They will all gather in B.C. and decide what their next step is, and what they can continue doing to make sure Owen eventually comes home.
They also want to remind Albertans, and B.C. residents, to keep their eyes open for signs of Owen.
To learn more about the search for Owen, please visit the family's website.
