A Winnipeg man has sought the help of community volunteers to search the Red River for his wife, who has been missing since Sunday.
Podge Dimagiba said his wife, Maggie Liu, 32, disappeared in the evening without her cell phone, wallet or passport.
Volunteers from Drag the Red and Bear Clan Patrol began their search of the water on Wednesday in a canoe rented by Dimagiba.
The canoeists paddled from Alexander Dock to The Forks, then turned around and followed the current north.
Dimagiba said it is very uncharacteristic of his wife to go out on her own.
“We don’t really have many friends here in Winnipeg because we just moved here three years ago, and Maggie is a bit of an introvert,” he explained.
She experienced depression, he explained, but was never officially diagnosed with a mental health issue and was not on any medication.
Winnipeg police said Wednesday Liu's case was an open investigation with a lot of unknowns.
Sgt. Shaunna Neufeld said a number of police resources have been dedicated to finding Liu. She said police resources had been deployed on the Red and Assiniboine Rivers – the riverbank had also been searched.
Neufeld said there was no reason to suggest something malicious had happened to Liu and there are many reasons why a person goes missing.
Lui's parents live in China and had been notified about their daughter's disappearance, according to Dimagiba. He said he has been filling out paper work to bring them to Winnipeg for a visit.
He said family and co-workers have helped him hand out flyers, in the hope of being reunited with his wife soon.
Dimagiba and Lui met and married in Hong Kong before moving to their River Heights home in 2014.
“I support her as much as I can. I tell her everything is okay and that we have a good life in Winnipeg,” he added.
"She’s a very nice person, very sweet, she takes care of me a lot, cooks my lunch, packs it up, kisses me good night. I mean she's my wife and I love her unconditionally," Dimagiba said. "As a husband I have to do something, I can't just be waiting here idol and praying that she just pops up."
Anyone who has seen Maggie Liu is asked to contact the Winnipeg Police Service's Missing Persons Unit at 204-986-6250.
With files from Emad Agahi and Beth Macdonell.
