The search for a missing Barrie senior has officially been called off.
Barrie police made the decision late Friday afternoon to end organized search efforts for 72-year-old Mandy Thompson.
The decision comes after a week of active searching on land and by air in Barrie and in Oro-Medonte Township.
Police say the search will now take a new direction. Officers with the Barrie police investigative services unit will follow up with any new tips. Search and rescue crews could be re-established if any new leads come in.
For eight straight days, police and volunteers have combed through Barrie neighbourhoods and rural properties on the outskirts of the city.
Most of this week, crews have focused their efforts on Penetanguishene Road after a surveillance camera captured video of a woman believed to be Thompson.
On Friday, officers set up a checkpoint on that stretch of road in the hopes of finding someone who may have seen Thompson.
“We're stopping motorists that may travel this road on a regular basis, that may have seen Mandy, and we're just trying to jog some memories,” says Barrie police Const. Sarah Bamford.
Officers were never able to locate a tow truck driver who may have seen Thompson on the day she went missing.
Thompson, who has dementia, was reported missing last Friday morning from her Laidlaw Drive home in Barrie.
Police appealed to the public to check their properties for any signs of Thompson, but nothing was ever found.
If anyone does have information they can call police at 705-725-7025 ext. 2160.
