UPDATE (1:29 p.m., Jan. 30): Search and rescue teams from across the province are combing the Nicola Valley, as the hunt for a local cowboy — who hasn’t been seen since Jan. 26 — stretches on.

The 32-year-old man was last seen on Saturday, Const. Tracy Dunsmore wrote in a news release.

A representative from Nicola Ranch confirmed the missing man is Ben Tyner, manager of Nicola Ranch.

(Ben Tyner/Facebook).

“Due to active logging in the area and herds of wild horses, finding track for the rider has been hindered and Search and Rescue is still unaware of the missing male’s destination,” Dunsmore wrote.

Merritt RCMP were alerted to a horse with no rider — but equipped with full gear — at approximately 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 28, said Dunsmore.

Local hunter Kim Robinson, the man who tracked down Allan Schoenborn when he was at large for nine days back in 2008, told the Herald he found Tyner’s horse early Monday morning, around 5:30 a.m.

“It took me about 20 minutes to get him because he was pretty jumpy — something happened to him. He only had one rein,” Robinson said. “But I caught him and tied him up to a tree.”

Robinson called a few local cowboys at that time to notify them.

“When they called me back at 12:30 p.m. — this really pissed me off — they told me that it was the manager of the Nicola Ranch’s horse, who had been missing since Saturday night. I don’t know why nobody knew.”

Robinson’s frustration didn’t end there, however, as he said he was restricted from searching the mountain by search and rescue and RCMP crews.

“I don’t need anyone to hold my hand up there,” he said, noting he had been out hunting on the ridge every morning for the past month.

Ben Tyner has been missing since Saturday. (Ben Tyner/Facebook).

Tyner was last seen on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m., and was not working at the time, according to RCMP.

Anyone with information or who may have seen a male riding in the Swakum ridge area on Saturday or Sunday is asked to contact the Merritt RCMP.


(Jan. 29): It has been more than 72 hours since a local cowboy went missing from a Nicola Valley ranch.

“Due to active logging in the area and herds of wild horses, finding track for the rider has been hindered and Search and Rescue is still unaware of the missing male’s destination,” Const. Tracy Dunsmore wrote in a news release.

Merritt RCMP were alerted to a horse with no rider — but equipped with full gear — at approximately 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 28, said Dunsmore.

Loggers in the area found the lone horse and informed local ranchers, who retrieved the horse and identified its owner — a 32-year-old man from the area who worked at a local ranch.

The man was last seen on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m., and was not working at the time.

Nearly 40 Search and Rescue (SAR) members were on site on Jan. 28 with police dog services, snowmobiles and RCMP air support. Overnight SAR crews provided air and ground search as well.

Search efforts are being coordinated by Nicola Valley SAR with the assistance of Kamloops SAR and other nearby communities.

Search and Rescue has also accepted assistance from numerous ranchers on horseback, Aspen Planers staff and the Lower Nicola Indian Band, Dunsmore wrote. They also have four trained search dogs on scene today, as well as a helicopter.

Members of the public are asked not to conduct their own searches as it may interfere with SAR efforts.

However, anyone with information or who may have seen a male riding in the Swakum ridge area on Saturday or Sunday is asked to contact the Merritt RCMP at 250-378-4262.