(PHOTO: Police search for missing person Nelliya Karbisheva in the Jackson Trails area on Tuesday. Photo by Connor Boudreau.)
UPDATE, May 27: Karbisheva’s family have thanked the community for their help in this week’s search. They’ve asked that rather then flowers or meals, a donation to the Alzheimer’s Society, be made instead, in Nelliya’s memory.
***
UPDATE, May 25: Sad news to share today. Nelliya Karbisheva’s body was found in a wooded area near Stittsville Main Street and Maple Grove Road. Our condolences to her family and friends. Ms. Karbisheva’s dog was found safe by her side.
Ms. Karbisheva was located deceased this early afternoon in a wooded area in Stittsville.
No foul play is suspected. 1/2— Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) May 25, 2017
Ms. Karbisheva's dog was found safe by her side. We wish to thank the public and media for their assistance. 2/2 #ottnews
— Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) May 25, 2017
Missing senior Nelliya Karbisheva was found dead Thursday near Stittsville Main St. Nellie's dog was found alive. #ottnews @OttawaPolice pic.twitter.com/27rHmu2lLV
— Tony Caldwell (@tonysunphoto) May 25, 2017
Sad news. Our condolences to her family. pic.twitter.com/b836oWrHjY
— Stittsville Central (@StittsCentral) May 25, 2017
The four-day search for Nelliya Karbisheva, 82, came to an end on Thursday afternoon after her body was discovered in a wooded area, her loyal poodle still by her side.
On Thursday morning, Karbisheva’s daughter, Marina Ponomareva, had still been clinging to hope that her mother would be found alive. It was not the first time Karbisheva, who was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, has gone missing, Ponomareva said.
“In April she got lost and we looked for her for seven hours,” Ponomareva told the Citizen.
“She was in somebody’s house talking with them and enjoying company, she didn’t think to call us because of the dementia.”
Ponomareva had been moved to tears by the efforts of search volunteers earlier on Thursday.
“They are wonderful people, I am so grateful,” Panomareva said.
“Just thank you, thank you. Thank you everybody.”
…
Karbisheva, who is originally from Uzbekistan, moved to Canada in 2011. Although she could not speak English, she was very outgoing and loved talking to people and would use her body language to communicate, Ponomareva said.
“Neighbours love her,” Ponomareva said.
Karbisheva’s granddaughter Ekaterina Ponomareva told the Citizen that the family was very sad about the news of Karbisheva’s death.
“She loves the family and loves her grandchildren and she always wanted to be all together,” Ekaterina said.
“She liked being part of a big family.”
***
UPDATES, May 24:
The search continues overnight for missing 82 y.o Nelliya Karbisheva. Any info pls call 613-236-1222 ext 2912. Thank you. ^mm 851
— OPS Operations (@DutyInspector) May 25, 2017
– Volunteers have set up a Facebook page: “Help find Nelliya”
– Volunteers are organizing a search party on Wednesday evening at 6pm starting at the RONA parking lot on Hazeldean Road. Searchers will head out in groups of two. For more info call 613-581-6297.
Neighbours report that police were called to help in a similar situation last April when the woman went missing.
– The Ottawa Citizen reports:
Nelliya Karbisheva, who police say has a form of dementia, was reported seen around 10:30 p.m. Sunday leaving the Queensway Carleton Hospital on foot, walking toward Baseline Road.
The hospital is about 10 kilometres from Stittsville, where she lives.
According to Cara Salci, a spokeswoman for the hospital, Karbisheva was not a patient at the hospital. She was there for reasons other than treatment. Hospital staff are working with Ottawa police to help provide any information they can about the visitor, including providing security footage of her while she was at the hospital. Salci also said an email has been circulated to hospital staff, alerting them to be on the lookout in case Karbisheva returns at some point.
***
Search continues 4 our missing female. We have OSARVA trained volunteers helping us as well as EMS and OPP. Report sightings..^JM 871
— OPS Operations (@DutyInspector) May 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/DevynBarrieNews/status/867078344499712000
UPDATE (Tuesday morning): Police continue to search in Stittsville for Nelliya Karbisheva, who was last seen within the 300 block of Horseshoe Crescent in Jackson Trails on Sunday around noon. A police search team is covering several areas near Jackson Trails including the wooded area north of the community, and neighbourhoods along Hazeldean Road. Anyone with information is asked to contact the on Ottawa Police Services Missing Person Section at 613-236-1222 (3726) or the Duty Patrol Staff Sergeant’s Desk at 613-236-1222 (2912).
Half a dozen officers head off from the command post at the end of Stittsville Main St, later handing a left toward the woods. pic.twitter.com/RjGrTDBqBf
— Andrew Foote (@amkfoote) May 23, 2017
The OPP bring their drone in. pic.twitter.com/Z4dgWDNi92
— Andrew Foote (@amkfoote) May 23, 2017
The missing woman walked in these woods quite often, he says. Her first language is Russian and she has some form or symptoms of dementia.
— Andrew Foote (@amkfoote) May 23, 2017
A woman who lives nearby says lots of people walk their dogs in the woods behind the command post. There's a path network. pic.twitter.com/rB5397YYjn
— Andrew Foote (@amkfoote) May 23, 2017
Police breaking out the mountain bikes, presumably to head back into the woods. pic.twitter.com/uhXlS0otiQ
— Andrew Foote (@amkfoote) May 23, 2017
Police and paramedics here in Stittsville looking for a missing 82 y/o woman and her poodle. Set up next to a pond off Stittsville Main St. pic.twitter.com/rfF4sbLDSz
— Andrew Foote (@amkfoote) May 23, 2017
Here's the Ottawa police command post for the search. We're at the north end of Stittsville Main St. 2 OPP officers here with a drone. pic.twitter.com/i28eG412K2
— Andrew Foote (@amkfoote) May 23, 2017
***
UPDATE (Monday evening): Police are searching backyards and public areas in Jackson Trails this evening.
OPS search & rescue going through backyards in area of Hazeldean/Stittsville Main…still looking for 82 yr old female. ^JM 871.
— OPS Operations (@DutyInspector) May 23, 2017
Police say she left her home with the dog around noon Sunday and ended up at the Queensway Carleton hospital at around 10:30 p.m. the same day.
Staff Sgt. Glenn Wasson tells CTV Ottawa they believe she walked the 12 kilometre distance herself.
“Often times people set out and from what I understand she’s an avid walker,” he says. “It is far, absolutely, but it’s not unreasonable to think she may have travelled that far by foot.”
Sgt. Wasson says Karbisheva suffers from dementia and there are concerns for her safety.
“As I understand it, she does have a jacket on. She is an avid walker so I believe she is physically fit under normal circumstances,” she says. “However after 24 hours, and it wasn’t a particularly warm night . . . our concerns would heighten.”
***
UPDATE: Ms. Karbisheva was last seen at approx 10:30pm Sunday leaving the Queensway Carleton Hospital on foot walking towards Baseline Road.
***
UPDATE: Ottawa Police continue to search for the missing elderly female, Ms Karbisheva, who was walking her dog at the time she went missing. The small white poodle she was walking is shown in the pictures appended below.
***
(via Ottawa Police)
The Ottawa Police Service is seeking the assistance from the public in locating a missing 82 year old female by the name of Nelliya Karbisheva. Ms. Karbisheva was last seen within the 300 block of Horseshoe Crescent in Stittsville (Jackson Trails area) around noon time Sunday.
Ms. Karbisheva is described as a white female who is 5’2″ tall, medium build with short salt and pepper hair last seen wearing brown shorts and a rose or pink hat and blue jacket.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the on Ottawa Police Services Missing Person Section at 613-236-1222 (3726) or the Duty Patrol Staff Sergeant’s Desk at 613-236-1222 (2912).
So sorry to learn of the end result. Her faithful companion was with her to the end hopefully bringing her some comfort. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Karbisheva family at this sad time.
I am so sorry to hear of her death. I have to say at the same time that I heard she was missing , via radio on Monday. I was travelling from the QWay, east on Hazeldean Rd. towards Stittsville and was watching out for her. Never heard a thing about her being missing since, and CFRA, and CBC radio are usually very repetitive. I asked colleagues at my Maple Grove workplace if they had heard anything – if she was found – EVERYONE said they had heard no more about it so we all assumed she was found. Then today around noon – I heard she was not found. I was going to go to the police command centre at 4 pm to ask if I could aid in her search. But 1 hour later I heard her body had been found. I am dismayed at the lack of air time this event had. My sincere condolences to the family.
I would like to know the reason for her death. I often walk in the area north of Jackson Trails between Carp and Huntmar with my dogs. Since the little dog was OK I am speculating it wasn’t a wild animal attack? Would it have been a massive heart attack?
I did see a lot of news coverage on CBC online but no mention on cause of death.
I am so very sad for her family, 4 days is a long time to wait, hoping for a happy ending.
To this day, June 9 – people I have spoken to are still telling me that they had no idea a Stittsville woman had gone missing and was ultimately found dead. This most recent conversation took place with residents that live near the Carp Rd. Her disappearance and subsequent search, should have been on every half-hour newscast on CFRA and CBC radio – the name Donald Trump was! Terrible coverage results in lack of help and possibly her death, because there would have been so many more people looking for her, and reporting where they had last seen her.