Hope Search and Rescue was part of a large-scale operation to help a lost skier find her way back home after she became disoriented near the Coquihalla Summit.
According to Hope Search and Rescue president Barry Gannon, the search began on Monday night at about 7 p.m. It took 26 SAR workers 害羞草研究所� from Hope, Central Fraser Valley and Chilliwack Search and Rescue 害羞草研究所� seven hours to find the skier, who went to Falls Lake and couldn害羞草研究所檛 find her way back. Some searched the area on skis while others were on snowmobiles.
The lost skier sustained no injuries.
害羞草研究所淭he team that was made to wait on the trail just before Falls Lake害羞草研究所tumbled across her and brought her out,害羞草研究所� Gannon said. 害羞草研究所淪he was okay, just cold and wet.害羞草研究所�
Gannon said it害羞草研究所檚 common for skiers to get disoriented around Falls Lake.
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害羞草研究所淢ostly what happens is they get turned around on the trail up there,害羞草研究所� he added. 害羞草研究所淚nstead of coming back toward Highway 5 in the parking lot, they go left instead of right and they get turned around. They go into the underbrush and get disoriented.害羞草研究所�
For those who are going out skiing, they should come prepared with the proper supplies to stay overnight in the back country in the event Search and Rescue is needed.
害羞草研究所淪he did have a backpack; she would probably have survived overnight, but I don害羞草研究所檛 think it was enough,害羞草研究所� Gannon said. 害羞草研究所淵ou害羞草研究所檝e got to be able to make yourself a shelter overnight because sometimes we can害羞草研究所檛 get in to get them.害羞草研究所�
Gannon recommends anyone venturing into the bush, skiing or otherwise, to invest in an SOS beacon, an alert device designed to send a distress signal and GPS coordinates to SAR and emergency workers. At the very least, they should go in with a fully charged phone or backup power source so pinging a phone to determine location can be an option; the missing skier害羞草研究所檚 phone battery was dead. Backpacks taken into the bush during the winter in particular should have supplies to keep outdoor adventurers warm and dry.
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In the event people find themselves lost, they should stay put, Gannon said.
害羞草研究所淲e always tell people to stay put, because if they害羞草研究所檙e on the move, we can害羞草研究所檛 find them. It害羞草研究所檚 harder for us to find them if they害羞草研究所檙e moving.害羞草研究所�
Gannon said the skier did the right thing in texting a friend who was familiar with the area where she was going.
害羞草研究所淢ake sure to do a trip plan,害羞草研究所� he recommends. 害羞草研究所淭hey should have the trip planned when they害羞草研究所檙e going in and when they害羞草研究所檙e expected to come out.害羞草研究所�
adam.louis@hopestandard.com
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