A southern Alberta family is grieving the loss of six-year-old Kya Warrior.Kya was the step-sister of Darius MacDougall, the six-year-old boy who went missing while on a walk in the Crowsnest Pass on September 21.Details of her passing, announced this week, were not announced.Kya was remembered by her family as a bright and loving child who will be “deeply missed and forever remembered with love.”Funeral services are tentatively scheduled for October 17 (wake) and October 18 (funeral and feast).Family members — Buffy, Jody, Abbey and others — expressed heartfelt gratitude for the community’s outpouring of support during what they described as an “extremely challenging time.”Darius disappeared while walking with siblings, including Kya, near Island Lake Campground, roughly four kilometres south of Crowsnest Pass and about 250 kilometres south of Calgary.After an extensive ground and air search, RCMP announced they have called off active search operations, saying they believe Darius is no longer alive if he remained within the search area..“Police and Search and Rescue Alberta will no longer be on the scene,” said RCMP Cpl. Gina Slaney. “The area has now been reopened to the public. Moving forward, all information and tips will be carefully evaluated and thoroughly investigated.”Authorities said Darius, who has autism, may have had difficulty responding to searchers during the operation.RCMP Supt. Rick Jené noted that investigators will continue to rely on public information:.“The challenging reality is, sometimes we need some help from luck, fate, or a higher power, depending on what you believe. It may be a hunter, or someone recreating in the area, who ultimately helps us find answers.”Officials emphasized that no foul play is suspected in Darius’s disappearance.As the MacDougall and Warrior families continue to face profound loss, community members across southern Alberta have shared condolences and support online and in person.
