Search ongoing for missing pilot in Ontario’s Kawartha Lakes region

A massive search operation is underway in Ontario's Kawartha Lakes region to locate a missing pilot named David Douglas. The Trenton Joint Rescue Coordination Centre announced on X (Twitter) that the search has been ongoing near Balsam Lake since Friday morning. Douglas, aged 73, was last seen leaving the Oshawa Executive Airport around 8:30 a.m. He had planned to return to the airport an hour later but did not, raising concerns from his family and authorities.

The pilot was flying a light blue and yellow amateur-built aircraft. The family has appealed to the public, especially those in the cottage area, to come forward with any information that could lead to Douglas' location. They urge anyone who heard an aircraft flying unusually low, or witnessed an engine change pitch or stop, to call 911. Additionally, anyone with camera footage from Friday is asked to preserve it and report it to the authorities.

Richard Wiltshire, Douglas' cousin, provided insight into the situation, stating that the veteran pilot is accustomed to taking such flights. He expressed the family's hope that Douglas would be found safe and returned to his loved ones. The pilot is described as five-foot-seven with a slim build, black/grey hair, and a mustache, according to police.