Weather challenges search for Vancouver Island man who failed to return from canoe trip

Arden McLeod · CBC News

· Posted: Nov 08, 2026 2:13 PM EST | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

A community-led search is underway off northern Vancouver Island for 34-year-old James "Dakota" Smith, who failed to return from a solo canoe trip amid stormy weather Friday.

Smith, a member of the Ma’amtagila Nation, was last seen around 12 p.m. PCT at Adam River, about 85 kilometres northwest of Campbell River, according to family member and search co-ordinator Matthew Ambers.

Smith had planned to return bones from an earlier hunt to nature by dropping them into the ocean, according to his cousin Seneca Ambers.

Returning bones to nature, Seneca said, is a traditional practice among Ma’amtagila First Nations people.

"We just want him home," she said.

Authorities were called to search for Smith after he was a few hours late to return home to his partner and two young children, Seneca said.

According to Matthew’s post, search and rescue crews located Smith’s canoe about seven-and-a-half hours after the search began — six nautical miles west of Adam River.

His posts also called on the community to assist with the search.

"As soon as the sun came up [Saturday], [Matthew] wanted to make sure that people were out searching for Dakota," said Seneca.

Community search

She said most of those searching Saturday were family and community members, including "a lot of friends" who drove to the Adam River area from various locations across Vancouver Island.

Seneca said Smith and his family are considered "guardians of our territory" and he is experienced in the wilderness.

James "Dakota" Smith is a member of the Ma'amtaglia Nation. (Ma'amtagila Tribe Society/Facebook)

"We don’t know what’s happened," she said.

In a post to on social media, shortly after Smith was last seen, the province issued a high streamflow advisory for parts of B.C., including eastern Vancouver Island.

That stormy weather continued to challenge search efforts Saturday, Seneca said, as rough conditions on the water forced Matthew to retreat from the water and aid in the land search instead.

"We want to think as positive as possible right now. That he’s just found a place to hunker down," she said. "But obviously there’s a lot of fear and worry."

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In an email, Victoria’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre said it received the call on Nov. 6, and two Canadian Coast Guard vessels and two aircraft were tasked with searching for Smith.

The canoe was recovered, however there were no signs of Smith.

The centre said that based on survivability models, a search reduction was ordered at roughly 7:30 p.m. PCT.

"The RCMP has the lead now," read the email.

The RCMP says it received the report about Smith at approximately 4:20 p.m. PCT, as the search continued in the Johnstone Strait.