Barrie Police now believe they have a confirmed sighting of Brandon Crisp the night he disappeared.

A witness says the teen was seen in Oro-Medonte with his bike, along the trail near Ridge Road. It’s there, near the 2nd Line, that Crisp’s bike was found Monday.

“That is a definite bonus because at least we know his bike didn’t appear here out of the blue. He was with his bike at one point here,” said Sgt. Dave Goodbrand with the Barrie Police.

The Barrie teen left home on Thanksgiving Monday after having an argument with his parents and has not been heard from for nine days. And with the fall leaves now turning into snow, the search for Brandon takes a more urgent tone with Barrie Police.

“There’s still no foul play suspected, but it’s a serious reason for concern that nothing has come in about his whereabouts,” Goodbrand told media gathered at a press conference in Oro on Tuesday afternoon. “By now, there should have been some sightings, even if it was at a truck stop.”

On Wednesday, an aerial search was conducted, along with a search of Kempenfelt Bay by the marine unit, a ground search, and a spot check at Ridge Road and Line 3.

Goodbrand said Crisp could be injured or in need of help, and that’s why his parents Steve and Angelika Crisp made the plea to national news media Tuesday.

“We haven’t heard anything in days, not a credible lead,” said Steve. “There are a lot of cottages here owned by people in Toronto and we ask for them to make sure they are not broken into, or have someone living there.”

He asked Oro-Medonte residents to check any outbuilding, sheds and garages.

“We have no idea where he is. He could be in Thunder Bay, Vancouver or Arizona,” Steve said.
When asked if Brandon would hitchhike with a stranger, Steve said his son is more likely to be with someone he befriended online while playing the Call of Duty video game.

The couple keeps hope that Brandon is safe and is just unaware of all the media attention his situation has attracted. “If he knew his family was worried, he’d call and let us know he was safe,” said Steve.

The couple is looking for any reason that their son would stay away from home and school.

“If there’s a chance he had been gambling, like in poker, or if there were any debts or reason to be worried to go back to school, his friends should tell police.

“He was a competitive boy and put 120 per cent into whatever he did.”

Steve said his family has been through many emotions, from thinking the threat of running away was a joke, then anger from the situation, and now worry for his safety.

Goodbrand said that while police are looking into connections through the online gaming world, they are still searching the Shanty Bay area, where they found Brandon’s bike.

“He could be housed up in a cottage, living off the land. He doesn’t have a huge bank account and doesn’t have the means to (stay on his own).”

Goodbrand added he could also be injured or abducted and in need of help.

Keeping Brandon’s case in the public eye is important to finding him, said Goodbrand. Five police dogs and 25 officers were searching from the 5th Line of Oro-Medonte south to Shanty Bay Tuesday.

“If we searched somewhere (random) like Sunnidale Park, we’re using resources where there’s no proof he was there,” said Goodbrand.

Police searches are done methodically, using GPS tracking, which is why the public hasn’t been asked to help yet, he said. “If people want to search, we ask them to stay out of the police search areas.”

A thermal imaging camera was used in last Saturday’s air search, but no clues were found. Brandon’s disappearance has been posted with local police and national police forces.

Brandon Crisp is 15 and he left his Hickling Trail home after an argument with his parents over his Xbox. He had a Huffy mountain bike, which police found in the ditch, near the walking path, on Line 2 of Oro-Medonte.

He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a burgundy hoodie, a yellow-and-grey jacket, and white running shoes. The Grade 10 student is 5-foot-3 and weighs 100 pounds; he wears his hair in a crew cut. Anyone with information should call 725-7025.

 jramsay@simcoe.com