The Kent Harrison Search and Rescue team was paged by RCMP at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 14 to assist in locating two lost persons south of the Chehalis fish hatchery in the Chehalis Delta.
The lost couple had intermittent cell phone service and were able to call for help after spending two hours trying to find their way out of the dense bush and back to their car at the hatchery. The cell service provider was able to give an approximate location of the phone, but SAR members were unable to locate the couple after two hours of searching the immediate area. Fears were that the couple were not prepared to spend the night in sub-zero temperatures, so the call went out for more help from Mission and Chilliwack Search and Rescue.
A second location was eventually provided from the couple’s cell phone which placed them 700 metres from the initial location. As crews neared that position, the RCMP ‘Air 1’ helicopter arrived with a powerful searchlight. Between the new location and the helicopter’s assistance the couple were located and escorted back to their car at 10:25 p.m.
“We typically see people getting lost in this area every year”, said Marvin Anderson, the SAR team’s president. “It’s always a good plan to be prepared when heading into the back country” he added. A recommended web site for information on venturing into wilderness areas is www.adventuresmart.ca.