Still searching: volunteers continue to look for missing woman

DAWSON COUNTY, Mont. (KFYR) - It’s been nearly three months since Renee Arcand was last seen.

“Right now, the whole world is our search area,” said Travis Bateman, director of Badland Search and Rescue.

Over the weekend, volunteers with his organization focused their search for Arcand to a nearly 20-mile area where she was last seen.

Arcand has been missing since June 28. She was camping with a friend at the Fish Intake Campground north of Glendive, Mont. When the friend awoke, Arcand was gone.

Authorities have been searching for her ever since.

On this day, Bateman and two others scoured a nearly 20-mile area on foot. That’s nearly every inch of the Fish Intake campground as well as some nearby areas.

“Just checking some high-probability areas. There’s been absolutely nothing, no sign of anything, no clothing, no personal items. Nothing has been discovered at all,” said Bateman. “It gets kind of disheartening. Because it’s like, ‘Where is she?’”

Authorities have been looking for Arcand all summer. They’ve searched portions of the Yellowstone River.

“This river has a mind of its own,” said Dawson County Sheriff Ross Canen. “I can’t force her to give up her secrets.”

They’ve searched the land too.

“We’ve done everything there is to do,” said Dawson County Sheriff Ross Canen. “We’ve used multiple boats on multiple occasions along the river. We’ve had drones fly with infrared. We’ve had sonar on boats, we’ve had planes. All the neighboring jurisdictions have been notified downstream. Posters have been posted. Just about everything there is to do, we’re doing it.”

They still have found nothing.

“It’s just it’s very frustrating,” added Canen. “Obviously, the family wants closure. They deserve it.”

Although this search once again turned up nothing, they’re not giving up.

“This is a head-scratcher,” said Bateman.

They’ll keep looking until this mystery is solved.

Sheriff Canen says more searches are planned before winter arrives and forces them to stop looking.

Boaters, fishermen and hunters in the area are asked to keep an eye out for any clues.

If you have any information, contact the Dawson County Sheriff at 406-377-5291.

Arcand is 36 years old, 150 pounds and 5 feet 5 inches tall.

Previous coverage:

• Search efforts continuing for missing woman last seen in June
• Search for a missing woman continues in Glendive, Montana

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