A solo hiker from Victoria spent a longer-than-planned trip near Comox Lake after Comox Valley Search and Rescue was tasked to assist after she became lost.
Around 11 p.m. Saturday night (June 5), Paul Berry, search manager with CVSR told media they received the call to help after the hiker, who was camping in Cumberland, became lost on the cliffs above the lake.
“A location was determined by pinging her phone and two teams were transported by boat to the shoreline below her location, while a third team was dispatched on the logging roads above her location,” he explained.
Berry said the hiker had taken a stroll in the late afternoon and got disoriented and ended up sliding down steep terrain. She was about a kilometre past the campsite on the Cumberland side of the lake.
“(It was) on pretty good elevation – not an area that was pretty accessible. We put teams on the water to try and locate her and a ground team coming from above.”
Berry added she made the right call as she was still in cell range and was able to call for help. While she didn’t have a lot of gear with her, she did have her phone which had a flashlight which she was able to signal to rescuers. He added that she didn’t suffer any injuries outside of being cold and hungry.
The boat team was able to access the hiker and using landlines, they assisted her to the shoreline where she was transported by boat back to her campsite.
Berry noted the event serves as a reminder to those looking to explore to go with someone who knows the area or to ensure the area is familiar prior to exploring.
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