Authorities halted the search for a Canadian man who went missing eight weeks ago along with his wife. 

Al and Rita Chretien, Nazarenes from Penticton, British Columbia, went missing March 19 on their way to a trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

The couple got stranded in mountains of northeast Nevada after their van slide off a desolate road and into a gulley. Al, 59, left Rita, 56, in the van and went in search for help. 

Hunters found Rita, weak and malnourished, on May 6. She was transported to an Idaho hospital and later to a hospital in British Columbia. 

Her rescue led to an intensified search for Al, who was using a GPS device to find his way to Mountain City, Nevada. 

A day after her release from the hospital on Sunday, however, Rita and her family learned that the Elko County Sheriff's Office called off the search.

"Searchers have spent about 1,500 person-hours exhausting all leads provided through clues gained by interviews with Chretien's wife, without finding evidence of his whereabouts," Sheriff Jim Pitts said in a statement.

This is not the end of the search, Pitts added. 

He and his staff will review search results to help plan a new search after the snow melts and weather conditions improve. They will resume the search quickly if additional information on Chretien's whereabouts is received, Pitts said.

The Chretien family had prayed for a "second-miracle," said Raymond Chretien, the couple's son, in an earlier press conference.

Neil Allenbrand, the Chretiens' pastor for the past 12 years at Penticton Church of the Nazarene, said Monday that Rita is doing well both "mentally and physically."

He hadn't spoken yet to the family about the decision to halt the search, but he said he wouldn't expect any criticism to come from the family.

"They are so appreciative of what the searchers have done," he said. They would have nothing to say other than a big, "Thank you."

Lorraine Chretien Hoving, Albert Chretien's sister, told Postmedia News that despite purchasing a new GPS device right before the trip, Albert Chretien was not known as a gadget geek.

He was known for his humility, disinterest in material things, and charity-giving.

It came as a surprise to no one that he decided to go find help after getting stuck in the mud, his sister said.

"It would aggrieve him to no end that he got them in trouble."

Allenbrand agreed.

"To rescue his bride would be paramount."

Continued prayer is requested for the family. 

Related: Chretien says Jesus was beside her while she was stranded for 7 weeks