'Somebody knows something': Sask. community looking for answers after man's disappearance

Maple Creek, Sask -

A family is looking for answers 17 days after a Maple Creek, Sask. man left his home in the community – with no one hearing from him since.

Byron Watson, 23, was last seen in Maple Creek on the morning of Nov. 26. Numerous ground and drone searches in and around the southwest Sask. community have turned up nothing.

Along with RCMP and Watson’s family members, many from the community have joined in the search. So far the search area has covered about 170 square kilometres.

Those involved in the search for Watson have all agreed the situation is an uncommon one for the community.

“Somebody might have been missing for 24 hours and then they show up, but we have not had somebody that has gone missing without a trace, it affects the whole community and trickles down through everybody, Maple Creek’s mayor Michelle McKenzie said.

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Watson’s family is using every search method they have at their disposal. That’s included social media and monitoring online for any potential clues that could lead to answers.

Watson’s bank account is also under constant watch, with his family picking up his final paycheque from work.

Watson's aunt Lori Watson says her other nephew who is only three-years-old has been asking for answers.

Byron Watson is described as five feet, eight inches tall, weighing 175 pounds and was last seen leaving a home in Maple Creek, Sask. (Mick Favel/CTV News)

“He asks where his uncle Barney is, how do we tell him that we don’t know where he his?” she asked.

“Right now without any leads we really need someone to speak up, there has been an aforementioned reward of $5,000, but we really needs tips,” Anthony Buffalocalf, who is part of the search team, told CTV News.

“Someone knows something – this is a small close knit community. There’s info out there and we need it.”

The search party says they will continue their work and wait for that tip that leads to what happened.

Maple Creek is located approximately 380 kilometers southwest of Regina.

Anyone who has information about the potential whereabouts of Byron Watson are asked to contact Maple Creek RCMP at 306-662-5550, or contact Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.