OPP confirm remains found are missing Thornbury man
OPP have confirmed that human remains found in Georgian Bay Township belong to 60-year-old Eric Spencer, who went missing in 2018.
It was mid-October 2018 when Eric Spencer was last seen in Honey Harbour.
A full-scale search by the OPP for the then 60-year-old from Thornbury scaled back when the search came up empty.
Then reignited one year later, with no trace of Spencer anywhere, Spencer's sister got in touch with the non-profit group "Please Bring Me Home."
"When Eric entered those woods, there has been no other evidence to suggest that he exited those woods," said Nick Oldrieve, executive director of Please Bring Me Home.
Six volunteers entered Honey Harbour on Sunday following a creek near where Spencer was last seen.
A search was encumbered.
"The swampiest area that we've ever been in. So every two feet you step out, you're in another, you know, another swampy area," said Oldrieve.
The team devised a plan to stay on the perimeter, hoping that his body would have likely drifted out after six years.
Then, at 10:30 that morning, "We were at the northmost end of this swamp just kind of turning around to come around the other side. And we had located what was clearly human remains at the time," said Oldrieve.
Police were alerted to the situation and brought in to retrieve the remains.
The Office of the Chief Coroner, with assistance from the OPP Forensic Identification Unit and the Centre of Forensic Sciences, confirmed the identity of the remains on Wednesday.
Police say foul play is not suspected in this investigation.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
Oldrieve's work continues long after the search has ended.
"Organizing some counselling services, getting in touch with victim services, whatever it is we can do to ensure that they're supported all the way through this journey of grief," said Oldrieve.
Now, at the time Spencer went missing, it was a bit unclear what drew him to Honey Harbour.
Oldreive says he does have ties to the area, with a family campsite close to the area.
But what made him stop and enter the woods where he did is something we likely will never know.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6979388.1722030190!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Celine Dion delivers stirring comeback performance at Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Against the rainy Paris night sky, Celine Dion staged the comeback of her career with a powerful performance from the Eiffel Tower to open the Olympic Games.
Jasper wildfire: 'Several weeks' before residents can return, premier says
Premier Danielle Smith said Friday afternoon in Hinton while weather conditions are cooler, the Jasper fire is still considered out of control and that Jasper residents can expect to be away from their homes 'for several weeks.'
Missing 3-year-old boy found dead in creek in Mississauga: police
A three-year-old boy has been found dead a day after he went missing in a park in Mississauga, Peel police say.
Irish museum pulls Sinead O'Connor waxwork after just one day due to backlash
An Irish museum will withdraw a waxwork of singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor just one day after installing it, following a backlash from her family and the public, it told CNN in a statement on Friday.
Winnipeg senior's account overdrawn for $146,000 water bill
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six-figure water bill.
Turpel-Lafond won't sue CBC over Cree heritage report that took 'heavy toll': lawyer
The lawyer for a former judge whose claims to be Cree were questioned in a CBC investigation says his client is not considering legal action against the broadcaster after the Law Society of British Columbia this week backed her claims of Indigenous heritage.
Driver charged after flashing high beams at approaching police
Orillia OPP arrested and charged a driver with impaired driving after flashing their high beams.
Major Canadian bank experiences direct deposit outage on payday
Scotiabank says it has fixed a technical issue that impacted direct deposits on Friday morning.
Health Canada warns some naloxone kits contain false instructions
Health Canada is warning some take-home naloxone kits come with bad instructions that should be ignored in favour of the correct guidance.