Photo: Contributed

Dozens of people have been searching for a missing man near Monte Lake.

The search for a missing man in the North Okanagan has been scaled back, after dozens of RCMP officers and search and rescue personnel spent the weekend scouring heavily forested terrain.

The search for 72-year-old Bjorn Collnes began Sept. 12 after his brown minivan was found west of Westwold. He had been last seen travelling from Falkland to Kamloops on Sept. 9.

A blue mountain bike, powered by a small motor, was missing from his vehicle.

Vernon Search and Rescue called in support from other jurisdictions, and over the past five days, 49 search and rescue personnel were involved in the search near Monte Lake.

“We had air assets in the form of helicopters and drones searching,” said search manager Coralie Nairn. “We had dog teams, two police dogs, and search and rescue dogs searched the area. People on foot, on bikes, on ATVs.”

Police have now made the decision to scale back the search, and search and rescue crews have been called off.

“There's a few of us, including a dog man, out as we speak right now,” RCMP Const. Danny Butler said Tuesday. “We are in the area, and the dog is still doing its searches.”

Nairn said the search has taken them through all sorts of terrain.

“Heavily forested area, varied terrain,” she said. “Water, creeks, highway edge, roads, trails and through the bush.”

Collnes was last seen wearing a black Harley Davidson T-shirt, grey and black camouflage shorts and brown running shoes.