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Missing Alberta woman could be in Whistler area

Former skeleton athlete Christine Newman previously trained in resort

An Alberta woman who has been missing for weeks could be in the Whistler area, police have reason to believe.

Christine “Tink” Newman was last seen in Claresholm, Alta. on July 8, however, local police said her bankcard was used to hire a taxi in Whistler on July 17.

“[That] puts her here but since that time we have had no other contact with her,” explained Whistler RCMP Staff Sgt. Paul Hayes. “It’s possible she’s here, it’s possible she’s left the area, but there is a bit of a history with Whistler, so our message to folks out there would be to keep an eye out and call us if she is noticed.”

Although Hayes said “it’s possible” the bankcard was found and used by someone else, he said police are “pretty satisfied” it was Newman based on information they have received.

Newman, 29, is a former skeleton athlete who had previously trained at the Whistler Sliding Centre. She made national headlines in 2014 when she was rescued after falling feet-first into a tree well near Elfin Lakes, east of Squamish, where she was trapped for more than seven hours.

In a state of near cardiac arrest at the time she was found, a group of acquaintances—one a nurse, another a retired paramedic—administered CPR for more than two hours before volunteers from Squamish and Pemberton Search and Rescue arrived to take over. In all, she received approximately four hours of continuous CPR, one of “a half dozen people in medical history that have had CPR for that long [and recovered],” Dr. Doug Brown, a leading expert on mountain rescue protocol, told Pique at the time.

Newman is described as Caucasian, approximately 5-3 (1.6 metres) tall, weighing 130 pounds (59 kilograms), with green eyes and purple and brown hair that is short on the sides.

Anyone with information on Newman’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Whistler RCMP at 604-932-3044, or Sea to Sky Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 to remain anonymous.

“The Whistler RCMP, like the Alberta Claresholm RCMP, are concerned for her at this time. We’d like her to reach out to us to ensure that it’s safe and/or if the public notices her, to reach out to us so we can ensure her safety,” Hayes added.