Penticton Search and Rescue located two hikers in the Greyback Lake area around 2 a.m. on June 4, in what was their sixth call of the week.
The search was originally prompted around 10:45 p.m. on Wednesday when RCMP requested Search and Rescue’s assistance in locating two overdue hikers.
Search and rescue personnel deployed 14 responders, along with an aircraft from Kelowna Search and Rescue and two RCMP officers.
Information from the hikers’ family lead search efforts to the Greyback Lake area.
Shortly before 2 a.m., a member of the Penticton Search and Rescue team located two men on the north end of the lake.
Both were assessed on the scene and found to be in good health and handed over to a family member who was with Search and Rescue.
The two male hikers were rescued from an area near Greyback Lake, over 26 kilometres from Penticton. (Penticton Search and Rescue/Facebook)
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Penticton Search and Rescue teams also evacuated a 61-year-old woman with lower-leg injuries from the Skaha Bluff Trail area on June 2.
The incident involved 11 Search and rescue members carrying out a hiker who injured herself on the Skaka Bluff trails above the Evergreen subdivision.
The injured woman had slipped on a trail and was unable to remove herself from the trail. A call was placed to 911 which resulted in BC Ambulance requesting Search and Rescue’s assistance in evacuating the woman.
Penticton Search and Rescue teams utilized two UTV’s to access the area before members hiked into the location where the woman was found.
Search and Rescue treated the woman’s injuries and lifted her onto a stretcher, before carrying her half a kilometre to a stretcher equipped UTV.
The woman was then driven to Evergreen Drive and handed off to BC Ambulance for transport to Penticton Regional Hospital.
These two most recent rescues marked the fifth and sixth calls for Penticton Search and Rescue since May 31.
Search manager, Randy Brown said he’s growing tired of repeating himself when speaking about hiking safety.
“I guess I will be sounding like a broken record, however, I cannot stress enough the importance of trip planning, being prepared with the right clothing, footwear and if you are heading into the backcountry: prepare, prepare and prepare,” Brown said on social media.
“Don’t just rely on your cell phones, they don’t work everywhere. Get a GPS or if you’re a regular to the back-country look at getting a personal locator beacon like a SPOT or INreach device.”
Brown encouraged people to visit AdventureSmart.ca before leaving on any outdoor expeditions.
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