Found Alive SOUTH AMERICA - Teena Timm: Canadian Backpacker, 32, Bolivia, June 2005

fourboys · #1 07-15-2005, 02:32 PM

Winnipeg woman missing in South America

Last Updated Jul 14 2005
CBC News
The daughter of a former Winnipeg city councillor has disappeared while travelling in South America.

Family and friends say they last heard from Teena Timm a month ago while she was backpacking in Bolivia. Timm has not checked in and not used her credit card since.

Friends describe Timm, 32, as an independent free spirit. She has been backpacking through South America for months.

Timm, the daughter of Shirley Timm-Rudolph, a former long-time city councillor for Transcona, kept in contact with friends and family through e-mail, but a few weeks ago the letters stopped arriving.

Timm's close friend, Ralph McLean, told CBC News that free sprit or not, it's out of character for Timm to go so long without getting in touch.

"I know access to the internet isn't always there. The second week you start wondering and worrying. But by the third week you are freaking out," he said from The Pas. "I've been in contact with Teena's grandmother and her mother, and we've been wondering, has anybody heard from her?"

McLean says Timm was officially declared a missing person last week. Her last known location was a hotel in Tupiza, Boliva; she told McLean she was heading to La Paz or Tarija in Bolivia before carrying on south to Argentina, possibly in the company of an Argentine couple.

Shirley Timm-Rudolph was not immediately available for comment.

Website: http://www.teenatimm.com

http://winnipeg.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/Vi...a-timm-20050714

nicbok · #2 07-17-2005, 07:37 PM

I have been speaking to Teena's friend Ralph, he's about to head down there to look for her. They're extremely worried about Teena - if you have any contacts in South America please pass this story on, the family needs all the help they can get. I can pass any info on to Ralph also if need be.

Teena's a very responsible traveller and Ralph also had a conversation with her before she left specifially about staying in touch and Teena was very clear that she would keep in regular contact as she knew what distress the lack of contact would cause her family and friends. She never hitchhiked, she always took buses.

babydust2004 · #3 07-18-2005, 04:20 PM

My heart goes out to this family.Prayers being said for Teena and her family that she is found safe and healthy.

Jenn · #4 07-18-2005, 05:02 PM

Sounds like she had a beautiful spirit. Prayers for her family and for her safe return.

fourboys · #5 07-20-2005, 07:57 AM

Search for missing woman takes flight

Last Updated Jul 19 2005
CBC News

A man from The Pas is hoping a trip to South America will provide some clues about what happened to Teena Timm, who went missing in Bolivia last month.

Timm, 32, left to backpack through South America in March, after taking a buy-out package from her job at Manitoba Lotteries. She stayed in regular contact with family and friends until June 15.

A police investigation shows no activity on Timm's bank account, credit card or email account for more than a month.

Argentine officials have confirmed a person using Timm's passport crossed the border into Argentina on July 5, nearly three weeks after she had any contact with family or friends in Winnipeg. It's not clear if Timm was the person using the passport.

Ralph McLean, a close friend of Timm, is flying to Argentina on Tuesday in the hopes of locating her.

"I'm only doing what I know she would do for me. I told her before she left, she has to communicate – e-mail, phone, postcards, something," he said.

Although the Canadian Foreign Affairs department is investigating, McLean said he feels compelled to do more.

"Foreign Affairs is doing quite a bit for us, but I feel this is the best way possible for me to assist, rather than to just sit back at home and help out on the internet and with e-mails. If she is hurt or needs assistance, this is the best way I can help her," he said.

"I'm doing what Foreign Affairs probably isn't doing or maybe cannot do, which is get into the backpackers' circles, because backpackers don't watch TV. They don't tend to read the newspapers. They tend to travel in their own little groups."

McLean will travel the same way Timm did – on the cheap and in the rough. Timm's mother, former Winnipeg city councillor Shirley Timm Rudolph, is grateful he's willing to undertake the challenge.

"The extreme travel is something my family wouldn't be able to do. Physically I wouldn't be able to accomplish it," she said. "There's no doubt, Ralph is an angel of mercy for our family."

Meanwhile, Timm Rudolph is trying to set up a fund to accept donations for the search effort.

http://winnipeg.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/Vi...a-timm-20050719

fourboys · #6 07-20-2005, 03:13 PM

TEENA TIMM
Has Been Found Alive and Well in Bolivia

http://www.teenatimm.com/

Jenn · #7 07-20-2005, 03:38 PM

Praise the Lord!! I am so relieved to see a happy ending.

nicbok · #8 07-20-2005, 06:13 PM

Absolutely fantastic news!!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!

Can't wait to hear the story!

karmarama · #9 07-20-2005, 07:07 PM

That is fantastic news!

Tranaice · #10 07-21-2005, 07:55 AM

Great news! It's nice to see a happy ending for a change.

jodierenee · #11 07-21-2005, 11:23 AM

geez, there are some pretty nasty comments in the guestbook on her webpage. I am going to have to take her side and hope that there is a very good explanation as to why she hasn't been in contact.

Jenn · #12 07-21-2005, 12:37 PM

I just went to her website and the guestbook has already been removed. Some people have no respect.

joys4world · #13 07-21-2005, 12:59 PM

Good to hear she is alive. I am so happy for her family.

nicbok · #14 07-22-2005, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jodierenee

geez, there are some pretty nasty comments in the guestbook on her webpage. I am going to have to take her side and hope that there is a very good explanation as to why she hasn't been in contact.

As far as I am aware, she was travelling in a fairly remote place - Bolivia - where there is little internet/phone access. I believe all her money & documents were stolen and she had absolutely nothing. Some local people taught her to make jewellery which she sold for enough to be able to get to an internet cafe and make contact.

I think that if she had gone to the internet cafe earlier and begged some fellow traveller to just send one e mail home for her they would have but I understand she's a very independent spirit and probably would have wanted to try and work the situation out herself. She apparently had no idea half the world was looking for her.

It's just wonderful that she's okay, I don't think there's anywhere in the world where it's safe for a woman to travel alone, sadly, and I think we were all thinking the worst. Yay to her resourcefulness!