Amir Dasooky has been missing since Nov. 20th and family and friends are desperately searching for answers in regards to his whereabouts and for his safe arrival home.
Friends say Dasooky has a passion for nature, whether diving off the coast of northern Israel near Haifa where he grew up or in the icy waters in Lake Minnewanka – he was in his element in the outdoors.
“He’s just very interesting. He’s down to earth and he’s a person that loves nature,” said friend Ahmad Qatanani.
Qatanani met Dasooky at a Calgary gym. They quickly became friends as Dasooky introduced him to the world of diving.
Qatanani says Dasooky has a wide range of knowledge. He trained at Olds College as a farrier and had a connection to several First Nations communities through his expertise with horses.
“He’s the kind of person if you need him to do something he’s going to be there for you,” Qatanani said.
But his latest adventure has turned into a nightmare for his family.
Dasooky was last seen leaving his home in Calgary on Nov. 20.
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He was house-sitting in Wheatland County where he was last heard from on Nov. 21.
During the phone conversation, Dasooky mentioned he may go hunting.
His locked Honda SUV was found North of Highway 22X, near Dalemead Reservoir.
There were no signs of foul play or where he might have walked.
There was partial ice on the lake in late November. His dog and rifles were found in the cabin he was house-sitting.
“You would not go hunting without your dog and rifle and you wouldn’t go on a walk without the dog too so I’m not sure what happened. He just vanished,” Qatanani said.
He doesn’t believe Dasooky harmed himself.
“He’s not the kind of person that would do that. He enjoys life way too much. My theory is if he’s not in the lake, someone picked him up. That’s the only thing that would make sense to me,” Qatanani said.
Dasooky’s family has funded a private search team.
A pond beside the lake was drained but there has been no sign of the missing man.
A police chopper search and RCMP cadaver dog search didn’t come up with anything.
RCMP says the investigation continues. Friends and family feel let down by the police search efforts.
“They just don’t like how the whole thing was handled. They think that the effort was not enough. Most of the things that were done were done by private teams,” Qatanani said.
“It’s horrible. It’s been 40 days and we don’t have any clue of what happened. There’s nothing; there’s no clues at all. The cases is at a halt. Nobody’s looking for him. How do you sleep at night knowing he’s out there somewhere,” Qatanani said.
RCMP, Search and Rescue teams and many volunteers have been searching. Qatanani said his friend’s family are struggling with not having closure. He said family and friends will continue searching for answers on their own.
A fundraiser has been set up to help fund the family’s search for their loved one.
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