The search for missing sailor Benoit Bilodeau in a wooded area south of 12 Wing Shearwater was called off Saturday evening, but will resume Sunday morning, said Tony Rodgers of Halifax Regional Search and Rescue.

"We're shutting down this evening... There have been no significant clues," he said.

"We'll be back here tomorrow, overhead at 7 (a.m.), ground at 8."

The tracking dog brought in to help in the search didn't hit on anything either, Rodgers said.

"We always remain optimistic. We're still hoping."

Leading Seaman Benoit Bilodeau, 48, was last seen at approximately 4:00 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21. (Canadian Forces Military Police Group)

About 80 people, including search and rescue crews, military personnel and RCMP, covered an area in the vicinity of the base where Bilodeau was last seen.

The leading seaman has been missing for a week.

The Canadian Forces said Bilodeau, from Fermont, Que., was last seen Nov. 21 at 4 p.m. walking near a bus stop in front of 12 Wing Shearwater. He was carrying a standard military pattern olive-green duffel bag.

'Lost person capital'

The searchers have covered three or four kilometres so far, Rodgers said.

"That is quite a big piece of land, quite dirty too. It's a lot of bogs, a lot of Hurricane Juan wood in some of these areas. It took searchers hours to get through a very limited space," he said.

"We also went down to Hartlen Point as well. It is another military establishment which he has been known to go to. We also had a helicopter in the air today from the Department of Natural Resources that flew this quite extensively. "

At one point, the tracking dog sank in one of the bogs, Rodgers said.

"We lost the title a few years ago, but Nova Scotia was once known as the lost person capital of North America — and that's just because of the type of terrain that we're in."

Bilodeau's mother, Louise Bergeron, who lives in Saint-Albert, Que., said she's staying home, close to her phone in case he calls.

Benoit Bilodeau with his family, include sister Mireille Bergeron (left) and his mother Louise Bergeron (middle). (Submitted by Mireille Bergeron)

"I would like to get out of this nightmare," she said. "If I didn't have faith, I think I would be in a thousand pieces."

Bergeron worries something bad happened to her son. She said he's a good walker, in good shape and it's unlike him not to get in touch.

"He was a cadet since he could enter the cadets in Fermont, they went into the woods and he was good with maps. If he was left somewhere in the forest without a map, he can survive. He's able to walk. He can survive for enough time for rescue to arrive for him."

'They always tell us so little'

Mireille Bergeron, Bilodeau's sister who is in Kingston, Ont., says the family is grateful for support and words of hope they've received.

Military asking for public's help finding Bilodeau <a href="https://t.co/QqmkUsuizo">pic.twitter.com/QqmkUsuizo</a> —@svankampenCBC

"It is just hard to understand why it took so long and why they always tell us so little," she said in an email to CBC.

​Petty Officer 2nd Class Mark Snow told CBC News the military is looking into adding more aerial components to the search.

He said the searchers will continue at least until dark.

Bright orange tags have been tied to trees and brush in the area, to mark where searchers have been.

Cell phone signal detected

Stevenson says military investigators received new information that prompted the search in the area near the Salt Marsh Trail to begin Friday night, but she wasn't privy to the details.

Searchers comb wooded area in Eastern Passage looking for missing sailor <a href="https://t.co/mJ8cR5sGp9">pic.twitter.com/mJ8cR5sGp9</a> —@svankampenCBC

She said although Bilodeau hasn't been seen since Nov. 21, investigators had detected some signs of him.

"There was some cellular communication or at least they had tracked the signal from his phone more recently than that," she said, adding it is believed the phone's battery died since those signals were located.

Anyone with information on Bilodeau's whereabouts is asked to call RCMP or the Military Police Unit in Halifax at 902-722-4446.

Bilodeau is described as a white man, standing six foot one inches and weighing 165 pounds. He has short brown hair.

City bus being used as a warming centre for search crews <a href="https://t.co/eb1Cq9NPSa">pic.twitter.com/eb1Cq9NPSa</a> —@svankampenCBC

Search crews return to command centre at Shearwater base <a href="https://t.co/yd68UZRl8e">pic.twitter.com/yd68UZRl8e</a> —@svankampenCBC

Orange markers show where searchers have already been <a href="https://t.co/EGGqeRyi7a">pic.twitter.com/EGGqeRyi7a</a> —@svankampenCBC

A search dog helps look for missing sailor <a href="https://t.co/XbpuqX10Ol">pic.twitter.com/XbpuqX10Ol</a> —@svankampenCBC

Search crews continue to comb swampy area in rain, cold <a href="https://t.co/vlPg0aU6Uj">pic.twitter.com/vlPg0aU6Uj</a> —@svankampenCBC