Two men have been rescued after becoming stranded in the backcountry near Sparwood.
Just after 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sparwood Search and Rescue (SAR) was notified by the RCMP that two men travelling on Leach Creek Forest Service Road on a tracked UTV had become stuck on their way to a remote worksite.
Fortunately, the pair had an inReach satellite communicator that allowed them to notify authorities, as well as supplies to build a fire and keep themselves warm while they waited for help.
As SAR members were travelling to the location, a party of snowmobilers came across the stranded men and were able to help free their stuck UTV, allowing them to drive back to the highway.
Sparwood SAR Manager Ed Ehrler said the men made the right call contacting authorities early.
“With the forecast calling for temperatures last night below -20C, it’s good that they called early enough to avoid being stuck out there overnight,” he said.
“We were called by the RCMP just after 2 p.m., which gave us plenty of time to do a thorough avalanche risk assessment with help from an avalanche technician from Fernie SAR and come up with a plan to safely reach them, and get them out of the area before dark.”
SAR has reminded the public to leave a detailed trip plan when travelling in the backcountry.
Adventure Smart has released a trip plan app, look for it on the App Store or visit Adventuresmart.ca for more safety information.
