Firefighters and a provincial Department of Lands and Forestry helicopter continued to search along the Cornwallis River in Kings County Tuesday for a North Kentville man reported missing on the weekend.
Joshawa Bentley, 29, was last seen at the King’s Arms pub in Kentville at 10:30 p.m. Saturday. He was reported missing to Kentville police Sunday evening
Const. Chris Burke of Kentville Police said searchers are looking along the river as a precaution, and they don’t have any indications that Bentley would have been near there.
“This is not a recovery mission, it’s still a missing person case,” he said.
Burke said they’re not sure where Bentley was headed after he left the pub. He lives off Belcher Street in North Kentville, and would have had to cross the bridge over the river if he was walking home.
It’s unusual for Bentley to be out of contact with friends and family.
“This is not common for him,” Burke said, but added that there is no indication of foul play.
Ground search and rescue personnel, firefighters, a police dog and the helicopter searched along the river between Kentville and Port Williams on Monday.
“We covered a lot of ground,” Burke said.
The chopper and boat continued to search west of the town Tuesday.
Burke said police are asking residents, particularly those between downtown Kentville and Applecrest Drive in North Kentville, to check their backyards and outbuildings for any indication that Bentley may have been there.
Bentley is white with a reddish-brown full beard and hair. He is six-foot-one and weighs 120 pounds, and has three tattoos: one on his right forearm that reads, “sometimes you have to go through hell to get to Heaven,” one of a handprint on his chest, and one of the Browning logo on the back of his right shoulder.
Police released a photo of Bentley from Saturday night at the King’s Arms, showing him wearing a red and black checked flannel shirt with a black printed shirt underneath, and jeans.
Burke said anyone who thinks they have seen Bentley is asked to contact police.
