The search for missing 81-year-old William Fisher of Port Hardy ended Dec. 6 when his body was discovered in his overturned car by passing motorists on Highway 30 near Port Alice.
Fisher was well off his expected route of travel and well outside of the search area.
He was reported missing to Comox Valley Ground Search and Rescue on Dec. 3 after failing to return to his home in Port Hardy after a medical appointment in Campbell River two days earlier.
Some 30 members of CVGSAR alone devoted more than 600 hours over Sunday, Monday and Tuesday morning in the search.
SAR teams from Campbell River, Parksville, Nanaimo, Port Alberni, Tofino and the Comox Valley combined efforts to walk the distance of Highway 19A from Campbell River to Port Hardy twice, scouring every ditch, embankment, gully and body of water in between.
Volunteer search teams were supported by search aircraft from the Provincial Emergency Program and by an RCMP helicopter.