A 66-year-old camper is escorted to a police boat by RCMP Const. Ty Skrine at Saysutshun Newcastle Island earlier this month. (Photo submitted)

A 66-year-old camper is escorted to a police boat by RCMP Const. Ty Skrine at Saysutshun Newcastle Island earlier this month. (Photo submitted)

Nanaimo RCMP officer ‘walks on water’ to rescue lost camper

66-year-old assisted earlier this month by Mounties who can seemingly work miracles

  • Sep. 17, 2019 12:00 a.m.

A senior who got lost while camping on Newcastle Island was rescued by RCMP officers who can seemingly work miracles.

Two officers, Const. Ty Skrine and Const. Ian Gray, took the RCMP boat to the Island the night of Sept. 2 to assist a 66-year-old woman who hadn’t been able to find her way back to her campsite after using the bathroom.

According to a Nanaimo RCMP press release, the woman walked for several hours on the island before calling 911 for help.

“After having her phone pinged by RCMP communications centre, the tired and somewhat frazzled but grateful camper was located,” the release noted.

The woman was found closer to the RCMP boat than her campsite, so she decided she’d rather be escorted home to Nanaimo by police. Gray took a photo of Skrine leading the woman toward the RCMP boat which made it appear as though the two were walking on water.

“While the officers are capable of many things, walking on water is not one of their acquired skills,” said Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman, in the release.

The senior “expressed her sincere gratitude” to the officers, who advised her what to do and what not to do when lost in the woods.

READ ALSO: Island SAR team finds hikers stranded in Strathcona Park at 4:30 a.m.

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