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'Major' search scaled back

After 13 days of fruitless searching, search-and-rescue officials are scaling back their search for a missing California couple. Gary Petigler, 70, and wife Ingrid, 68, have been missing since June 20...
searchandrescue

After 13 days of fruitless searching, search-and-rescue officials are scaling back their search for a missing California couple.

Gary Petigler, 70, and wife Ingrid, 68, have been missing since June 20, when they were last seen taking off from an airstrip in Wolf Lake, Alaska.

It was the first “major” search in Western Canada in almost two years.

The Canadian military is shutting down the search’s Whitehorse-based headquarters.

Only one Buffalo aircraft will remain to continue the search.

Searchers have combed an area of 21,000 square kilometres.

Tips have flowed in from Yukoners reporting that they had seen an aircraft similar to the Petigler’s.

“Of those leads that we’ve gotten, none of them have proved anything conclusive,” said search master Cpt. Craig Ellestad.

Defense officials could not estimate the cost of the operation. (Tristin Hopper)