Robert Sam McKean, known as Whitey, was 80 and living with dementia when he vanished from Whistler, British Columbia on October 9, 2023. He was last seen on security camera footage at the top of Alpine Way, entering a trail with his 15-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Lexi, and neither he nor the dog were seen exiting. At the time he wore a green jacket, a blue Vancouver Canucks hoodie, blue jeans, and a baseball cap.

More than 300 search and rescue personnel from 21 teams spent over 2,600 hours searching Whistler’s Alpine Meadows neighborhood. The RCMP, Whistler and Garibaldi firefighters and many volunteers used ground crews, canine units, helicopters, drones and steep-terrain rope teams before the official search was suspended on October 16, 2023 pending new information. The Whistler RCMP continued to follow leads and conducted seasonal follow-up searches; signs were posted at trailheads asking the public to report sightings.

In October 2024 human remains found near Whistler were investigated but the BC Coroners Service later confirmed they were not his. His and Lexi’s whereabouts remain unknown. If anyone saw Robert, Lexi, or unusual activity around Alpine Way on or after October 9, 2023, please come forward with information.