A Filipino who had been missing for several days in Canada was found dead, and police have yet to determine if he was a victim of foul play, media reports said.
Bryan Balong, 33, had been missing since Nov. 22. The father of two young girls was last seen at his home on Leila Avenue near Salter Street, reported GMA News.
Police found the body of Balong, early December in the West Kildonan area after a search that began on November 22, according to a report on CBC News.
A separate report on News 4 Winnipeg said Balong was last seen in the North End of Winnipeg.
Police found Balong’s body at the 400 block of Royal Avenue after a call to investigate “suspicious circumstances” nearly two weeks after the search was commenced.
A report on Global News Canada said Balong was found on December 3 in the yard of a house. On that day, a search party composed of more than 100 people was assembled at Margaret Park School to search for him.
Hundreds of people who joined the Facebook group dedicated for his search flooded the group with messages of support for the family after the discovery of his body.
Balong’s brother, Brad, thanked everyone who helped look for him in a message on December 7.
“I would like to sincerely thank each and every one who has been a part of my brothers search from sharing on social media, putting up his posters, taking time to drive, and ground search efforts in hopes of finding him. Your selflessness truly deserves recognition and our family will be forever grateful to all of you,” GMA News quoted him as saying.
“We found my brother and we can finally bring him home to rest free from suffering and pain,” Balong added.
A YouCaring page was set up to cover the costs of searching for Balong before his body was discovered.
The CBC report said an autopsy has been ordered along with an investigation to uncover the circumstances behind Balong’s death. As of Tuesday, there has not been an update on the cause of his death.
