Missing sailor Benoit Bilodeau is 'very reliable,' police say
The mother of a sailor missing from 12 Wing Shearwater says she's "living a nightmare" as the search continues with few clues.
Louise Bergeron's son, Benoit Bilodeau, didn't show up for work at the Halifax base on Monday, the day before his 48th birthday.
The Canadian Forces said the leading seaman from Fermont, Que., was last seen on Saturday. He was walking near a bus stop in front of 12 Wing Shearwater around 4 p.m., carrying a standard military pattern olive-green duffle bag.
His sister, Mireille Bergeron of Kingston, Ont., said family members tried to reach Bilodeau by cell phone Tuesday to wish him a happy birthday.
She wasn't concerned until a member of the Canadian Forces phoned that evening to say her brother hadn't show up for work for two days.
"He would never do something like that, just disappear or not show up for work," she said.
"It isn't normal; that's what alarmed his coworkers," said Capt. Joanna Labonte, spokeswoman for the Canadian Forces Military Police Group. "He's a very reliable individual."
The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service is now looking into his disappearance. Labonte said the military police in Halifax received a number of tips overnight and are investigating them today.
"We're just waiting, and that's what's so hard," said Bergeron. She describes her brother as a solitary man who doesn't spend much time with others. He joined the military after high school.
"He's a really simple guy, always positive," she said.
Bilodeau's last exchanges with family were about plans to visit them in Quebec at Christmas. Mireille Bergeron said her brother hadn't been posted to a ship in two years and was hoping to be back on board in the new year.
"My mind is going crazy," she said. "You always think about bad stuff, even though you're trying to stay positive and pray for the best."
Anyone with information on Bilodeau's whereabouts is asked to call the Military Police Unit in Halifax at 902-722-4446.
Bilodeau is described as a white man, standing six foot one inches and weighing 165 pounds. He has short brown hair.
