On April 15, 2026, 62-year-old Denise Ann Williams, a visitor from Australia, was last heard from while she was on a hiking trip in Nova Scotia. She had indicated to her family that she was planning to travel to Chéticamp, a village located on the western coast of Cape Breton Island. This communication was the last known contact anyone had with her.
Concern grew when she did not make any further contact, and on April 28, 2026, she was reported as a missing person to the Inverness County District Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Following the report of her disappearance, authorities located her rental car, a Nissan Sentra, at the Parks Canada Visitor Centre near the entrance to the Acadian Trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. An extensive search of the area was promptly launched, involving a multi-agency effort. Teams from the RCMP, including their Police Dog Services, along with multiple Ground Search and Rescue teams, the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association, Parks Canada, and other emergency services, all took part in the comprehensive search of the challenging terrain. The search efforts also included the use of helicopters and ground patrols scouring the vast national park.
Denise Williams is described as being 5-foot-4 with greyish-blonde, shoulder-length hair. At the time she went missing, it is believed she was wearing a dark winter jacket, a powder blue toque with the word "Antarctica" on it, an orange and blue scarf, and glasses. Despite a thorough six-day air and ground search of the rugged landscape, no trace of the missing hiker was found. On May 4, 2026, the official search was suspended pending any new information or evidence coming to light. The case remains a poignant reminder of the unpredictability of nature and the heartbreak of a journey that ended in mystery. Authorities have asked that anyone who may have seen Denise Williams in or around the Cape Breton Highlands National Park to contact them.Last Seen: Apr 15, 2026
