We are the Rooney family from Australia and are desperately searching for our son Owen, who walked away from the hospital and his belongings in Grand Forks, BC, on August 14, 2010. He has not been heard from since. It is extremely unusual for him to not be in contact with friends and family.

He had sustained a head injury on Aug 12, 2010.

He is 5'9" tall, 160 lb, has an Australian accent and was last seen wearing a dark shirt and shorts. He has tattoos on his right calf and on his shoulder (see pictures below, right). He worked at Big White in Kelowna for the previous two winters and at a restaurant in Kelowna until his disappearance.

We are asking for your help and are most appreciative of any help you can give us. If you can print out posters and put them up, that would help a LOT (visit this site and right click to print or go to the Facebook page and click on File and then Owens Poster to download it). Read below to see where posters have already been placed.

Our Facebook page is Help Find Owen Rooney. To share via Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, etc, there is a row of icons below the word Comments under each post. Just click on the appropriate one. Facebook gives you two choices for the thumbnail you can use. I suggest you use the picture of Owen. I can't get it to be the default.

Do you have any further ideas? Enter any info by clicking a Comments link below. Thanks!!

Contact Grand Forks RCMP: 250-442-8288 or Kelly Rooney: 778-686-3534 or Crimestoppers: 1-800-222-8477 or email: sfsrooney@gmail.com

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

60 Minutes Australia Will Be Airing Owen's Story

On Sunday May 22, at 7:30pm, 60 Minutes Australia will be airing Owen's story. If you miss it you can view it here at the 60 Minutes Australia website.
Posted by Rooney Family at 11:07 AM

13 comments:

  1. I just watched your story on 60 Minutes. My thoughts and prayers are with you. I hope that Owen is safe. I am very sorry that you and your family have had to suffer and endure this tragedy. Owen seems such a lovely kid in the videos and photos.

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  2. Love and best wishes for a safe return of Owen

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  3. I experienced an amazing time in Canada around 15 years ago on a working holiday. I was close to Owen's age. This could have happened to me or my many friends at that time as we had not a care in the world... It sounds to me that he was in serious need of help and it angers me that help did not come by the hospital staff. Shocking. Nor the Police! Disgusting. This poses the question whether other missing people's cases are not taken seriously in hospitals or by the law. Have you been to half way houses, mental institutions and other facilities where those who "seem" mentally disabled may be? I'm sure you have. Anyway - my heart goes out to the Rooney family - let's all use our energy to bring Owen home to his loved ones. Bless, JJ

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  4. I also just watched your story on 60 Min. I empathize with your grief and hope that Owen is safe. but I am afraid I am going to go with my gut feeling and tell you that I think that something has happened to Owen while at the hospital. The interview with the hospital manager was dodgy, he seemed to be covering up something. Owen suffered from a serious head injury, there is no way he would have been capable of walking outside to sit at a picnic table, then just take off into the woods. It wouldn't surprise me if that on the night that Owen went to hospital that there was no doctor present or available to give him the treatment he needed. Its a town of 4,000 people, not too many emergencies happen in the middle of the night. If you have ever lived in a country town you know what I am talking about.

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  5. To Sharon,Steve and family.Just letting you know from a family back home that you have always been in our thoughts since Owens disappearance.We saw the sixty minutes story and we do hope you find Owen safe and well.The whole community is behind you for support and wishes you all the best.From the Walkerdens.

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  6. Thanks to all for your comments and good wishes we do come from a small commuity which has been such an amazing support network for us during the past nine months. The hospital failed to monitor Owen so they had no idea of the extent of his head injury or his mental capacity at the time he left the hospital. They failed to convey this information to the RCMP and therefore the RCMP failed to act.
    We have contacted many many shelters etc in many towns in BC and Alberta and there are many many more to go.
    Missing Adults are never taken seriously which is morally wrong in my opinion.

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  7. Thank you to the Walkerdens and all the wonderful, amazing people from our small town. Thank you to the wonderful and amazing people from Grand Forks and Cananda who are also still supporting us as well. We dont know how we would have done what we have without you all.

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  8. To your whole family. my thoughts and wishes are with you in the safe return of Owen .He seems like such a lovely son from the films you have of him and I know he is safe somewhere as his photo still glows. Im the same age as Owen and know my parents would do absolutely everything to find me in a similar situation .And you’ve just showed the world how much you would do for your son as would any parent . I know this is probably silly talk, but I agree with a previous comment that look into hospices for drug or mental health clinics there are’nt many in Grand forks but it is only a short distance to USA border(few Kms). Maybe have a look into surrounding border hospitals(mental facilities etc) of Washington(state) I know the effects of some hard drugs can bring on a more permanent psychosis (or more so prolonged) .Just as a concerned person I think the first thing i’d do for a young man that is bruised up,no passport or id ,covered in blood and still on the effects of the percocet would be to call the police or mental facilities seems to be the first place Dr’s think to take someone in this condition. But enough of my rambling. I just wish I could help out in anyway . By best best wishes for you and the safe return of your son .

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  9. i too and am sending love and thinking of your family. i am praying for Owen to be found by your family
    does the ex girlfriend have any links to the two men who apparently beat Owen?

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  10. Hi, my good friend Sue that is originally from Ulludalla informed me of your plight, i cant fathom the distress n heartache you live through every day. I have posted on my facebook a link about Owen and his mysterious disappearance and have asked all my friends to post on their walls n so forth. I hope Owen is found and your nightmare has closure. Thinking of you all, u seem like a beautful family.

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  11. Thanks so much for your love prayers and good wishes spreading Owens story through your network is such a great help!! amazing.
    We have done a lot of searching through mental health in British Columbia and Alberta and we seem to have only scratched the surface.
    The USA is very daunting and we can only hope Owen didnt cross the border he didnt have his passport, but the border is very close and only a small post.
    There seems to be no connection with the girlfriend and the people who assaulted Owen The RCMP detectives are investigating
    thanks to all of you for your care and concern!

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  12. Hi there. I watched the sixty minutes report also. My heart breaks for your family, and i am so angry at the lack of support you have received from the hospital and police system there. My thoughts are with you and i sincerley hope you find your son and brother.

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  13. after watching the 60 minutes program all i wanted to do was jump on a plane and come help and my gosh i still feel the same i am praying everyday hoping soon this will all be over and you will find owen safe , sending all my thoughts to the family.

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