Police and search and rescue experts say the information they have and conditions in Ontario’s Algonquin Park give them hope they’ll find two 16-year-olds who haven’t been seen since Thursday.<\/p>\n
Maya Mirota and Marta Malek, both from the Kitchener-Waterloo area, have been missing since the night of July 11 from the park, which is approximately\u00a0290 km west of Ottawa.<\/p>\n
The two\u00a0were last spotted on Western Uplands Trail near Rainbow Lake.<\/p>\n
The camping group they were supposed to reunite with on Friday called Ontario Provincial Police when they didn’t show up.<\/p>\n
Police, park\u00a0staff and trained volunteers continue to expand their ground search in the western area of the park, said OPP spokesperson Bill Dickson on CBC Radio’s\u00a0Ottawa Morning<\/em>\u00a0Monday, while a police helicopter and provincial government float plane look from the air.<\/p>\n “We’re confident we will find these girls,” he said, repeating they had a tent and some supplies with them when they were spotted on Western Uplands Trail near Rainbow Lake.<\/p>\n A longtime volunteer with the Ontario Search and Rescue Volunteer Association (OSARVA) said there are much worse times of year to get lost in the park.<\/p>\n “Hypothermia is not an issue; weather conditions have been good, relatively speaking \u2026\u00a0This is a search that should end well,” said Fred Blackstein on\u00a0Ottawa Morning<\/em>.<\/p>\n “Water is the main issue and that’s not an issue this time of year, food is not essential\u00a0\u2014 psychologically it helps\u00a0\u2014 the fact they had some supplies is excellent.”<\/p>\n OPP also released new photos of the pair on Monday.<\/p>\n