A dozen South Cariboo Search and Rescue (SCSAR) members mobilized around 8 p.m. on Sept. 21 for an exhaustive overnight mission to help find a 74-year-old man near Likely.
The overdue hunter was located in good shape around 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 22 after close to 24 hours outdoors with no overnight gear, lost in dangerous and challenging terrain around Spanish Lake.
SCSAR was called to assist Central Cariboo Search and Rescue, which started its search around 5 p.m. after fellow hunters called for assistance when the man didn't show up at a previously agreed upon location.
SCSAR manager James Seeley says it was a good search and the teams worked hard with some 100 Mile House area members awake upwards of 32 hours.
SCSAR's Williams Lake-based counterparts had 14 members conducting a “pretty aggressive” search for the man using whistles, ATVs and firing off bear bangers, before the SCSAR took over the search around midnight. An RCMP handler and a tracking dog were also involved in the search.
“It's really rough terrain, very steep-sided terrain [with many ravines and creeks],” Seeley says of the area.
“Plus there were a lot of grizzly bears in that area. The loggers we talked to said they seen about five grizzlies in the last couple weeks.”
The hunter was cold from being outside overnight, but everyone was content with the outcome, Seeley adds.
“We had some pretty tired people, but some pretty happy people. This is great when we manage this sort of situation and there's a successful outcome.”
SCSAR responded to a similar overdue hunter search in Big Bar a few weeks ago when a hunter's ATV broke down and he was stranded for most of the night before being located around 4:30 a.m.
“The really important thing in both cases was the fellow hunters called for help right away,” Seeley notes. “I can't impress how important that is. More man power is critical, especially if somebody is hurt.
“If there are any issues, don't delay. We'd rather get called out, get to the scene, and see the person walk out or quad out, rather than [getting a call] 24 hours later.”