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This article was published 15/2/2016 (1677 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

City police are looking for two young people considered key in the investigation into the disappearance of Cooper Nemeth.

Police say two witnesses, known as Derek and Brittany, might have been with Cooper early Sunday. It's believed they were driving a white Honda Civic.

"We have information to suggest these were two people (Cooper) spent time with that Sunday morning are witnesses in this investigation and that’s why we are here today," said Det.-Sgt. Shaunna Neufeld of the Winnipeg Police Service missing person unit.

She spoke this afternoon at a press conference at the Public Safety Building.

"I really do think in short duration the public will help us track down these two individuals and speak with them," she said.

The parents of the missing teen joined police at the afternoon press conference today.

Brent and Gaylene Nemeth have not spoken publicly since their 17-year-old son was reported missing over the weekend.

"It’s very unusual. He would stay at friend’s house but he would always text me. This is not him. He would always come home. Shower, eat, go to other friends... totally out of character to be gone this long," said Brent.

Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts to contact the police at 204-986-6250.

Meanwhile, the search continues this afternoon for the River East Collegiate student.

Volunteers are asked to meet at Gateway Recreation Centre at 4 p.m., although people had already started arriving to help since noon.

"We want to hand out flyers door-to-door & we need to start combing the river areas, creeks, parks & spruce treed areas/brush in East St. Paul/NK/EK/Elmwood. If something is found... NOT TO TOUCH & CALL POLICE ASAP," an online notice says.

A site, www.findcip.com, has been developed as a way to share information about the missing teen.

It indicates the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service has been searching along the Red River in the Fraser's Grove neighbourhood and near the Chief Peguis Trail.

It's the second day of an orchestrated search by family and friends.

On Tuesday late afternoon and into the evening, about 200 people fanned out across the North Kildonan, East Kildonan and Elmwood areas Tuesday to search for Cooper, who was at a gathering with friends on Saturday night in North Kildonan but disappeared soon after.

"It’s overwhelming. I didn’t realize how many people must have liked Cooper. We’re grateful," said Brent.

Family members and friends who have tried to trace Cooper’s steps believe he may have made several stops in those areas late Saturday and early Sunday.

"We got flyers ready, streets (assigned), maps, and just keeping social media up to date so people know where we’re going," said Andrew Skogen, Cooper’s former hockey coach who helped organize the searchers. "There’s lots of students, parents, people who have played hockey with him, their parents, very overwhelming. The family is very thankful for what’s going on."

TWITTER Cooper Nemeth

Cooper, a popular hockey player with the River East Marauders midget AA and a Grade 12 student, did not return home after going out Saturday night — something he has never done before. He is believed to have left a party on Amelia Crescent between 12:30 a.m. and 2 a.m. Sunday with a man who is known to police.

None of his family, friends, hockey teammates, with whom he played a game earlier Saturday, have been able to contact him or find him. Police said his cellphone last "pinged" about 10:34 p.m. Sunday in the area of Burnett Avenue and Gateway Road.

Cooper is described as a Caucasian male who is 6-feet-tall and weighs 170 pounds and with an average build. He has short brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black jacket with a River East Marauders hockey logo on the front, black pants, and brown skater runners.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Winnipeg Police Service Missing Persons Unit at 204-986-6250.

Updates are being posted on the Facebook page North Kildonan — Your Neighbourhood, Your Priorities. The hashtag #findcip — Cooper’s nickname is Cip (pronounced Kip) — is being used on Twitter.

"I coached him when he was 11 and again when he was 14 and 15," Skogen said, noting they won a bantam city championship together three years ago. "That was my first (championship) as a coach. A real special group of kids."

Organizers want the public to know "no tip is too small" and police are following up on all information received.

"The support is overwhelming, who so many people just want to help. All the hockey families are really coming together for us and there’s signs everywhere," said Cooper’s aunt, Laresa Sayles.

"There’s been nothing found yet but we just want to tell people, no tip is too small. Contact police, it’s anonymous, they (the police) are doing a great job on their end with what little information we have."

Sayles is speaking for the family as Cooper’s parents and nine-year-old sister are too distraught.

"As time ticks, you start to think the worst case scenario so we’re going to keep pushing and try to collect any leads and any information we can," Sayles said. "We just want to find him."

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Laresa Sayles, aunt of Cooper Nemeth, weeps during an interview as hundreds of volunteers came together at Gateway Recreation Centre to search for Nemeth Tuesday. Cooper Nemeth was last seen early Sunday morning at a party in Valley Gardens.

During Tuesday’s search, people scoured public areas but also went door to door to homes and businesses asking the owners to check their properties. Searchers were asked to look in their assigned areas but also anywhere else they didn’t see others searching.

Roberta Johnson and her sons Carter and Riley joined the search Tuesday even though they hadn’t personally met Cooper. The sons attend school with Cooper.

"It just hits really close to home. Carter is graduating at River East too," Roberta said.

"We just want to do anything we can to help find him, get the word out so people know," Carter said. "It’s sad to know that he’s missing. It could happen to any of us."

Lisa and her son Jacob, who did not want their last name published, said they’ve known Cooper since he was about six years old as Jacob and Cooper played hockey together when they were younger and have remained friends.

"I can’t believe this is happening," Jacob said. "You hear about these things and then it happens to someone you know. We just want to find him."

Cooper’s high school friends Josh Gomes and Josh Mangilit said he would not stay away this long.

"This is very weird, we would never expect this from Cooper," said Gomes, who said he was too upset to go to school Tuesday. "We just want find out where he is and bring him home."

Mangilit said their friends have been using social media to try to find out anything they can.

There’s numerous gaps in time as family and friends have tried to piece together Cooper’s activites before he disappeared.

Friends said Cooper said he’d be back in about an hour when he left the party on Amelia but never returned. Cooper and the man he was allegedly with may have made stops at several places along Henderson Highway such as the Nor-Villa MotorHotel, Triple B’s Restaurant Bar and Billiards and a McDonald’s. He may have been dropped off at another party at an unknown address on St. Moritz Road.

Sayles said police have been in contact with the man her nephew said may have left with from the first party but could not comment further since the police investigation is ongoing.

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca