In the summer of 2012, 31-year-old Sara Georgina Coates was embracing a nomadic lifestyle, traveling through Western Canada in her blue Chevrolet Astro van with her cherished companions: her dog and two cats. She was last seen in early August of that year, during a walk with her mother in Stanley Park in Calgary, Alberta. Sara was known for her independent and adventurous spirit, often spending extended periods traveling and sometimes going months without contacting her family.
This pattern meant her initial absence didn't immediately raise alarm bells for her loved ones.
As autumn approached, concern for Sara's well-being began to grow. Her vehicle insurance and pet licenses were nearing their expiration, and there was still no word from her. The silence became increasingly unsettling for her mother, who, by December, had a strong premonition that something was wrong. A check of Sara's bank accounts revealed a lack of activity, prompting her mother to report her missing to the police. The investigation into her disappearance began, but for over a year, there were few public developments in the case.
A significant break in the case came on October 22, 2013, when Sara's blue Chevrolet Astro van was discovered in a secluded area on the Stoney Nakoda Nation, near Mînî Thnî. The van appeared to have been there for some time, and some of her personal belongings were found in the nearby woods. This discovery prompted extensive searches of the surrounding area involving the Cochrane RCMP, Calgary Police Service Dog Services, and other specialized units, but there was no sign of Sara. Her beloved animals were also never found. Investigators believe that Sara had interacted with people in the Mînî Thnî area before she vanished. Over the years, multiple searches have been conducted by law enforcement, search and rescue volunteers, and Sara's family, all holding onto the hope of finding answers. The investigation remains active, with police continuing to follow up on any new information that emerges. Despite these prolonged efforts, the circumstances of what happened to Sara Georgina Coates after she was last seen remain a mystery, and her whereabouts are still unknown.Last Seen: Aug 1, 2012
