Campbell River Search and Rescue (CRSAR) were called out Sunday night to the Price Creek area in Strathcona Provincial Park for overdue hikers.
Searchers were able to locate their vehicle in the middle of the night but not the hikers. In the morning, crews were sent out by helicopter to search the Price Creek Valley and hike the trail. The hikers eventually walked out of the trail late in the afternoon and the search was called off.
According to a CRSAR Facebook post, these are the things these hikers did right:
- They informed someone where they were going and when they were planning to come back
- They were prepared to stay overnight (temperatures got to -8 at night)
- There were willing to delay and go slowly, rather than rush and risk an injury
- Their family contacted 911 when they didn’t arrive home at the agreed time. Earlier calls mean smaller search areas for search and rescue volunteers
Areas to improve:
- Bring a communication device. An in-reach device and a simple text such as “We are fine, but are going to be out a day late” would have saved SAR heading out and calmed those who were expecting them home
- Travel on the coast where there is no trail or where the trail is extremely overgrown slows travel down and should be incorporated into the trip plan.
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