Tyler Bowe, 14 - missing since April 30, 1983 from Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada

Sep 5

4 min read

Saturday, April 30, 1983

Smiling young boy with dark hair in a plaid shirt, posed against a plain light background.

On Saturday, April 30, 1983, bush-savvy 14-year-old Tyler Bowe was rounding up stray horses for an area resident near Alligator Lake, in Yukon, Canada.

Sunday, May 1, 1983

Tyler Lawrence Bowe is reported missing on May 1, 1983.

Police meet a trapper "this weekend" (reported in The Whitehorse Daily Star on May 4, 1983) who tell them he had not seen Tyler but did find one of the stray horses.

Satellite map of Yukon near Whitehorse, showing Fish Lake, Ibex Mountain, roads, and Kwanlin Dün First Nation labels. — Area in which Tyler Bowe was last seen on April 30, 1983

Monday, May 2, 1983

Police begin an intensive ground and air search for Tyler.

Tuesday, May 3, 1983

Using two infrared cameras borrowed from the Yukon forestry service, forestry fire crew chief Mark Kavanagh and RCMP Officer Corporal David Hill scan the area where Tyler was last seen. These cameras are used to spot heat from smoldering fires, and the hope was that they may pick up the heat from Tyler's body. Unfortunately, they did not.

Two forestry crew men study an infrared camera indoors; newspaper caption says it was used to search for a missing youth. — Photo credit: The Whitehorse Daily Star, May 4, 1983

Wednesday, May 4, 1983

The Whitehorse Daily Star reports that Staff Sergeant Cal Legassicke of the Whitehorse RCMP said helicopter, airplane, and ground searches, including dune buggies and four-wheel drives to search the bush roads, have failed to turn up any sign as to the whereabouts of Tyler. He said that despite numerous offers of assistance in the search, it has been restricted to RCMP officers because they are trying to find Tyler's tracks and do not want anyone in the search area who might "obliterate anything we are looking for". He added that officers searching in the area are trying to stay within sight of one another "to make sure the ground is being covered". He explains that the area where Tyler went missing is so hard to traverse, it would be easy to miss a sign that he had been there, and it is difficult to say 100 percent that Tyler is not in the area already searched. Police confirm they have not found tracks or any other sign he may have walked out to the road.

Friday, May 6, 1983

The search for Tyler is now been expanded to the Fish Lake Region.

Satellite map of mountainous terrain near Whitehorse, with Fish Lake, Alligator Lake, Cowley, and Annie Lake Road labeled. — Alligator left is seen in the bottom left corner. Fish Lake is nearest to the top of the map seen above.

Monday, May 9, 1983

By May 9, 1983, The Whitehorse Daily Star reports that the RCMP are no longer searching the bush for Tyler Bowe. However, Sergeant Burch Singer, who had coordinated the search, said that Tyler's friends and family (between 15 and 20 people) were still searching the dense bush around Alligator Lake. Singer said the RCMP would keep in touch with them regarding their search efforts, and would go back into the area, should they discover anything that may help them locate Tyler.

The RCMP tells the newspaper that if Tyler was lost in the bush, there would be little chance he could have survived this long without food or warm clothing. He was last seen in rubber boots, blue jeans, and a blue jean jacket. He had no food or camping equipment with him when he entered the bush.

Singer reports that searchers have searched an area about 25 kilometres into the bush on either side of Alligator Lake Road. Alligator Lake, which is the area in which Tyler was last seen, is located about 30 kilometres in off the Annie Lake Road.

Satellite map of mountainous terrain with Alligator Lake, an Annie Lake Rd pin, and Carcross/Tagish First Nation label.

Friday, June 17, 1983

Sergeant Singer tells The Whitehorse Daily Star that Tyler Bowe's name will remain on a national list of missing persons and that his file is still open. He also tells them that police had received and followed up on a report that Tyler had been seen hitchhiking south on the Alaska Highway near Teslin. Police interviewed a witness who told them he was sure it was Tyler Bowe he saw. Despite this new lead, Tyler was not located.

Satellite map showing a blue route from Alligator Lake to Teslin Tlingit Council, labeled 48 hr and 211 km. — Alligator Lake to Teslin walking distance as per Google Maps (August 2026)

Satellite map showing two blue driving routes in Yukon, 2 hr 41 min and 2 hr 53 min, between Whitehorse and Teslin Tlingit Council. — Alligator Lake to Teslin driving distance as per Google Maps (August 2026)

Friday, April 23, 1993

A memorial service for Tyler Bowe is held. Tyler Lawrence Bowe was born on October 9, 1968 to Henry and Billie Bowe and raised in the Williams Lake area of British Columbia, Canada.

Tyler was active in the Williams Lake Boxing Club and there, earned the nickname "Tiger" Bowe. A talented boxer, he competed in the Northern Winter Games. In 1980, Tyler became involved in rodeo, competing in boys' steer riding through the Interior Rodeo Association. In 1982, he rode his first bareback horse. Sadly, a year later, he went missing while rounding up stray horses in Yukon Territory.

Black-and-white newspaper photo of Tyler Bowe’s family posing together; caption notes his disappearance 10 years ago. — Photo of Tyler Bowe's family at his memorial service Photo credit: Linda Lou Howarth Published in The Williams Lake Tribune Tuesday, May 4, 1993

Tyler Bowe remains missing. If you have any information regarding the disappearance or whereabouts of Tyler Bowe, you are encouraged to contact the RCMP at 867-667-5551.