The Nova Scotia RCMP has identified Denise Ann Williams, a 62-year-old Australian woman who disappeared while hiking in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Williams, from Victoria, Australia, was reported missing on April 28 after not being heard from since April 15. Her rental vehicle, a Nissan Sentra, was discovered at the Parks Canada Visitor Centre parking lot in Chéticamp near the Acadian trailhead.
Described as 5 feet 4 inches tall with greyish blonde hair, Williams was believed to be wearing a dark winter jacket, a powder blue tuque with “Antarctica” on it, an orange and blue scarf, and glasses. The Acadian trail, where she was believed to have been hiking, is an 8.4-kilometer loop of moderate difficulty.
Search and rescue efforts in the mountainous and snowy terrain of Nova Scotia have involved Department of Natural Resources helicopters, the RCMP police dog service, various ground search and rescue teams, and Parks Canada. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Australia is providing consular assistance to Williams’s family.
Authorities urge anyone with information on Williams’s whereabouts at Cape Breton Highlands National Park to contact the Inverness County District RCMP at 902-258-2213. Anonymous tips can be shared with Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).