FORT NELSON, B.C. — North Peace Search and Rescue (NPSAR) assisted in the search for a missing hunter last week, who was found safe and sound.
The hunter was found by mid-afternoon on September 1st after his friends noticed he was missing the evening of August 30th.
“He was in good shape and spirits and no issues,” said Brian Lamond, search manager and president of NPSAR.
He said in this situation, his companions acted correctly. They noticed he was missing, camped on the trail waiting for him, and when he didn’t show up Thursday morning, they went looking for him.
“[When they] weren’t able to find them through the day on Thursday, they activated their inReach device and asked for assistance through the Fort Nelson RCMP detachment,” Lamond said.
NPSAR put a team in a helicopter, flew to the area first thing Friday morning, interviewed his companions, and determined a last known location.
“Our search started there. We flew to the area and were successful in spotting him just on the other side of the ridge, so he had pretty well stayed in the area, which is one of the things that we promote,” Lamond said.
NPSAR promotes Adventure Smart, a national program for outdoor activities that explains the Three T’s: Trip Planning, Training and Taking the Essentials.
“So basically, he had almost everything from the ten essentials that we recommend. The only thing he didn’t have was a communication device to communicate with his hunting partners,” Lamond said.
He said the hunter had a trip plan but hadn’t found the proper trail, so he stayed where he was later found.
“We really promote to people that are going to be in the backcountry and any kind of outdoor activity to follow the Adventure Smart guidelines,” Lamond said.
The president said the most important point of the Three T’s is Trip Planning, which includes where a person is going, their equipment, and when they will be back.
He said there have been times when the NPSAR was out looking for someone who didn’t know they were considered missing by their friends or family.
“We find them, and they say, ‘Why are you looking for us? We weren’t supposed to be back until tomorrow,’ but they hadn’t communicated that well enough with family and friends,” Lamond said.
The Adventure Smart website has a section to create a trip plan that can be sent to family and friends. It is also available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
The second ‘T’ stands for Training, meaning obtaining the proper skills before heading out.
“Training gives you that ability to understand what the risk and hazards could be,” Lamond explained.
Adventure Smart offers training to groups who wish to learn more, including Survive Outside, PaddleSmart and Snow Safety & Education.
The final ‘T’ stands for Taking the Essentials, which is a list of ten basic survival items people should have in any outdoor situation:
- Flashlight, including spare batteries and bulb
- Fire-making kit, including waterproof matches, a lighter, a fire starter and a candle
- Signalling device, such as a whistle or a mirror
- Extra food and water, 1 litre per person
- Extra clothing, including rain, wind and water protection and a toque.
- Navigation and communication aids
- First aid kit and how to use it
- Emergency shelter
- Pocket knife
- Sun protection
More information on the Three T’s can be found on the Adventure Smart website.
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