In April 2007, 17-year-old Jeff Surtel left his home in Mission at midnight on a bicycle and hasn含羞草研究社檛 been seen since.
Over 16 years later, his family is still searching for answers.
Gary and Dawn Surtel, Jeff含羞草研究社檚 parents, say until they find out what happened and get closure, the pain will never end for them.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 probably any parent含羞草研究社檚 worst nightmare basically. It doesn含羞草研究社檛 get any worse,含羞草研究社� Gary said.
Gary and Dawn reached out to Please Bring Me Home to help find new leads in a case that has gone cold.
Please Bring Me Home was founded in 2018 with the aim of soliciting anonymous tips regarding cold missing person cases across Canada.
含羞草研究社淎ny time we can get Jeff out there in public含羞草研究社檚 thoughts again, it含羞草研究社檚 a good thing. Maybe someone is holding back on some information and due to passage of time, maybe they含羞草研究社檙e willing to bring information forward now,含羞草研究社� Gary said.
Jeff is described as 6含羞草研究社�1 with brown hair and eyes and several moles on the left side of his cheek. At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing dark blue jeans, a navy blue t-shirt, a navy hoodie and black runners.
His bike is described as a blue CCM mountain bike with yellow front forks.
For Angela Heino, Surtel含羞草研究社檚 disappearance is her first case as a volunteer investigator with Please Bring Me Home.
Heino含羞草研究社檚 background is in nursing and education. She currently works as a nursing teacher at BCIT but has built a background in forensics over the years.
She含羞草研究社檚 passionate about the work and says she含羞草研究社檚 honoured to be able to help in any way she can.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 drawn to the case because it is so complex, I think. Jeff disappeared in April of 2007 and there含羞草研究社檚 been really 含羞草研究社othing that substantial to indicate what happened to him. Both he and his bicycle that he was riding at the time have not been located,含羞草研究社� Heino said.
She was assigned the case by the Please Bring Me Home leadership team.
Heino has reviewed all of the available information 含羞草研究社� including the intake interviews 含羞草研究社� but also anything that含羞草研究社檚 publicly available. She says volunteer investigators work collaboratively with law enforcement whenever possible because the goal is strictly fact-finding.
含羞草研究社淥ur purpose is to find information or uncover information that could help move the case forward and bring some answers,含羞草研究社� she said.
As she takes on the case, Heino is exploring all avenues. She has spoken with anyone willing about information they may know about the situation or the context that led to his disappearance.
Heino says the family is hoping for some information that could help the case progress forward, and bring some much-needed answers in what has been a painful situation.
含羞草研究社淭hey含羞草研究社檝e been very kind. They have been helpful and as a parent myself, I can imagine few situations more excruciating than not knowing where your child is,含羞草研究社� Heino said.
Heino always feels humbled when speaking with the family. She says she含羞草研究社檚 trying to understand the situation from their perspective and find out more about Jeff as a person.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 not an easy process, but it含羞草研究社檚 such an important one,含羞草研究社� Heino said.
She made the trip Mission to familiarize herself with the geography of the area and made connections both intentionally and unintentionally.
含羞草研究社淎ny kind of little piece of information can be significant and so, really investigation is about the connection that you make with people and then the conversations that you have,含羞草研究社� she said.
As a new investigator, Heino says it can be challenging to know how much to push or be patient. The amount of time that has elapsed since Jeff含羞草研究社檚 disappearance is also a hurdle.
含羞草研究社淪ometimes the memory that people have fade over time,含羞草研究社� Heino said. 含羞草研究社淪ometimes it含羞草研究社檚 difficult to remember some of the unique standout pieces of information that, when something occurs much more recently, are easier to retrieve and recall. But when this much time has elapsed, it becomes difficult for anyone who might know or determination to remember.含羞草研究社�
The lack of information about what happened to Jeff after he was last seen leaving with his bicycle also makes the investigation more complex.
含羞草研究社淚 think there含羞草研究社檚 just so many potential scenarios of what might have occurred but no clear sense of 含羞草研究社攃urrently, from my perspective含羞草研究社� what actually happened. And that含羞草研究社檚 what we含羞草研究社檙e hoping to try to understand and get information on,含羞草研究社� she said.
含羞草研究社淭hat is so puzzling me because one would have hoped that there would have been some trace or some evidence that pointed us to one particular scenario or another.含羞草研究社�
The Surtels say there have been extensive searches of the Fraser River and a sonar search underneath the Mission Bridge.
含羞草研究社淭he fact that his body has never been found is a positive thing. Until that happens, we含羞草研究社檙e considering him to be alive and out there,含羞草研究社� Gary said.
Jeff Surtel含羞草研究社檚 disappearance remains an open and active Mission RCMP investigation.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檝e done everything that I can possibly think of searching for Jeff. I含羞草研究社檓 at a loss as to what more I could do or could have done. All we can really hope for is someone to come forward,含羞草研究社� Gary said. 含羞草研究社淪omebody must know what happened to him 含羞草研究社� if he含羞草研究社檚 still around. Someone knows.含羞草研究社�
Please Bring Me Home will continue with the investigation for as long as they need to move the case forward.
