By Tanya Cronin

Mother of missing son hopeful reward will bring clues

Feb 26, 2018 | 3:57 PM

KAMLOOPS — From the break of dawn until dusk each day, they search. But 10 days later, still no sign of Ryan Shtuka. The 20 year old disappeared on Saturday February 17, after leaving a house party in Sun Peaks Resort, where he lived and worked. Family and friends, local volunteers, RCMP and Kamloops Search and Rescue, refuse to give up looking for him. The family is now offering a reward for any information leading to Shtuka’s whereabouts.  

“I remember saying to him because I don’t know when I’m going to see you again, so I want to make sure that you give me a hug and kiss and he did come up and say goodbye.”

It’s a memory Heather Warren Shtuka is holding close to her heart. December 1, the last time she wrapped her arms around her 20 year old son Ryan.   

“There’s a certain level of guilt that comes from not being able to find him, like where is he, why can’t I find him,” says Warren Shtuka.

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It has now been ten days, and still no sign of Ryan Shtuka. The 20 year old disappeared on February 17t after leaving a house party on Burfield Drive in Sun Peaks Resort, just after 2 a.m. 

His mom and dad, family and friends have been handing out flyers and canvassing every inch of Sun Peaks Resort. Hundreds of volunteers have also given up their time, some complete strangers, others travelling from Ryan’s hometown of Beaumont, Alberta.

“We have to double check, triple check, quadruple check, looking in all the tree wells, anything that’s likley we just have to map out the area,” says a volunteer from Alberta.

“It has to be done, it’s heartwrenching, we are both heart broken for Ryan, his mom and the whole family,” says another volunteer from Kamloops.

It’s believed Ryan was headed home, just a five minute walk away, and a route he had taken countless times before. Kamloops Search and Rescue and RCMP efforts again this past weekend, turned up nothing. His family desperate for clues to Ryan’s whereabouts and now offering a $5,000 reward for information.

“People may have seen him, at the end of the day I don’t care where he was or what he was doing or who he was with, I just want to know what time he could have left and I want to know where he could be so we can expand that search with a little bit more certainty.”

Ryan moved to Sun Peaks from Alberta with his best friend to work the winter season as a ski lift operator. He failed to show up for work that Saturday, his cellphone is off and he hasn’t been active on social media. 

“Did he get up and walk and stumble along the way, did he get disoriented and go that way, but there’s nothing to indicate that he wasn’t just right behind his roommates when they left as well. Not in his character, not the kind of guy he was, he just hung with his roommates.”

Residents are urged to check garages, sheds and surveillance video for any sign of Ryan. Heather is aware that if her son is out in the elements, he likely didn’t survive. But the pain of not knowing is unbearable, and she will never give up searching to bring her firstborn home.

“Not knowing where he is and what’s happened to him is this neverending despair, I just want to know location or time if you’ve seen him and where we can find him, that’s all I want,” says Warren Shtuka.

20 year old Ryan Shtuka is described as white, 6 feet tall, 180lbs, with blonde hair and brown eyes.

He was wearing dark jeans, a grey/white shirt, a blue coat, and a burgundy ball cap when last seen. 

Anyone with information is asked to call Kamloops RCMP at 250-828-3000.

A fundraising page has been set up to help pay for the families expenses.

It can be found here.