In the late summer of 2020, a devoted father and avid hiker named Ali Safar Naderi vanished into the sprawling wilderness of Eagle Mountain in Coquitlam, British Columbia. The 52-year-old was a familiar face on the trails, known to embark on solo hikes almost daily. His disappearance came to light on the evening of August 23, 2020, when a concerned citizen noticed his vehicle had been parked for an unusually long time at the trailhead on Diamond Crescent.
This discovery triggered a significant search and rescue operation in the vast and complex network of paths that crisscross the mountain. Naderi, a man with brown eyes and salt-and-pepper hair that curled over his ears, stood five feet ten inches tall and weighed around 176 pounds. At the time he went missing, it is believed he was wearing a dark-coloured lightweight hiking jacket and shorts, and was using hiking poles.
The response to Naderi's disappearance was immediate and extensive. Coquitlam Search and Rescue, along with teams from neighbouring areas, mobilized a large-scale search effort. Over the course of a week, 183 trained volunteers dedicated approximately 2,400 hours to scouring the rugged terrain. The search was aided by helicopters, drones, and search dogs, covering a vast area of 48,000 square meters of trails. A crucial piece of information emerged from a trail camera, which captured an image of Naderi on his hike, helping to focus the search efforts. Despite these intensive efforts, the 'spider web' of trails on Eagle Mountain presented a formidable challenge. Without a clear indication of his intended route, search teams faced an increasingly difficult and dangerous task as each day passed.
After a week of relentless searching with no sign of Naderi, the difficult decision was made to suspend the active search, though the police investigation remains open. The rationale behind this decision was the growing risk to the search and rescue teams as they ventured into more hazardous terrain with diminishing certainty of his location. For Naderi's family, the years since his disappearance have been filled with unanswered questions and profound loss. His daughter has expressed the deep void his absence has created, highlighting that he was a loving father and a passionate artist who was planning for a future that tragically never came. The case of Ali Safar Naderi is a heart-wrenching reminder of how quickly a familiar routine can turn into a lasting mystery, leaving a family and a community to grapple with the uncertainty of what happened on that August day on Eagle Mountain. The official investigation into his disappearance continues.Last Seen: Aug 23, 2020
