A B.C. search-and-rescue team is commending the actions of a 17-year-old snowmobiler who “did everything right” after getting lost this weekend.
The sledder was out with a group Saturday afternoon near Spanish Lake, northeast of Canim Lake, when he became separated from the group.
His party realized he was missing when they met at the parking lot, according to 100 Mile House RCMP. Some of the group stayed to look for him, while others went to contact South Cariboo Search and Rescue and police.
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But it’s what happened in the backcountry that drew praise from search crews.
“After multiple failed attempts to get back out of the area the way he got into it and not knowing the terrain and area, he parked his sled in a wide-open area, walked over to a nearby treed area and built himself an incredible snow cave to spend the night,” the team posted to social media.
“When our team members came across him he was in the shelter with food and water. This young man made our task a little less difficult by staying in place and having some backcountry winter survival knowledge.”
Crews located the teen around 10:30 p.m.
The team also had good things to say about the other members of the teen’s party, who it said did the right thing by going for help when they realized they had exhausted their knowledge of the area.
“By doing this, it kept this task as a search for one person and not multiple. The actions of everyone involved was spot-on for leading to a successful outcome,” the team said.
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Rescuers are reminding all backcountry users to always be prepared for the unexpected, noting that getting stuck out after dark “can happen just that quickly.”
It said the incident is a reminder that anyone heading into the backcountry should make sure their safety and survival knowledge is up to date.