THE family of a Bella Coola man missing since early December is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to his current whereabouts.

Carl Schooner Jr., 30, left Bella Coola on November 30, 2022, and was last seen in Williams Lake on December 4, 2022. His family reported him missing on December 6, 2022.

“Carl is a hard-working young man who loved helping others and being with his family,” said his father, Carl Schooner Sr. “He’s a good-hearted, kind person, and it’s totally out of character for him to be out of contact with us for this long.”

Carl Schooner Jr. is of Nuxalk and Heiltsuk ancestry and is described as a 30-year-old Indigenous male, 6’1 tall and weighing 161 lbs. He has short black hair and brown eyes and was possibly wearing a black hoodie when he disappeared. He has a tattoo of his daughter’s name, Rosa, on his right forearm. He has no cell phone or vehicle.

He left Bella Coola on November 30, 2022, intending to stay a few days in Williams Lake. When his father could not locate him on December 6, he immediately reported him missing to RCMP, who issued a missing person’s report. His family has spent weeks in Williams Lake conducting their own searches, along with friends and volunteers.

“We know that someone out there knows where Carl is, and we just want him home safe,” said his father. “We are offering this reward to encourage anyone with information to come forward.”

The RCMP have confirmed that the investigation is active and ongoing and is a priority within the detachment. They are requesting that members of the public who have information to come forward.

Anyone with information about Carl Schooner Jr. is asked to contact the Nuxalk Nation at 250-799-5613, the Williams Lake RCMP at 250-392-6211 or their local RCMP detachment.

Those wishing to submit an anonymous tip can do so through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.