Search underway for missing man in Fort Smith, N.W.T.

About 35 people gathered on the Salt River First Nation Thursday morning to begin a ground search for a missing man.

Frank Gruben, 30, was last seen in Fort Smith, N.W.T., on May 5. RCMP announced he was missing on Wednesday.

Larissa Emmons is helping to organize volunteers. She got involved after seeing chatter about the search on social media Wednesday.

"Honestly," said Emmons, "We're hoping that somebody else somewhere sees him and can say, like, call your family. So if you see him on the street, tell him to call his mom."

In addition to the volunteer searchers, Emmons said staff from the N.W.T.'s Department of Environment and Climate Change are using a helicopter to search along the riverbank.

Meanwhile, an RCMP officer was out knocking on doors with volunteers.

And the community's MLA, Frieda Martselos, and others had worked together to fly in Gruben's parents from Aklavik, N.W.T.,to help in the search.

Emmons says she's impressed by the teamwork that's happening, and says more volunteers are welcome.

"The more volunteers we can get the better, because people are going to start getting tired," she said.

Police describe Gruben as Inuk, with black hair and brown eyes. They say he's about six feet tall, and weighs about 80 kilograms.

Anyone who knows where he might be is asked to call the Fort Smith RCMP at 867-872-1111 or Crime Stoppers at1-800-222-TIPS (8477) orwww.nwtnu.crimestoppersweb.com.