Search VernonNow
Three teens found themselves is a sticky situation on Saturday night after becoming stranded on Alouette Mountain in Golden Ears Provincial Park.
A search and rescue team spent the night hiking to the teens in order to save them from dangerous conditions, and it was a very long hike because of a flat tire on their UTV.
The three boys were not prepared to spend the night in the outdoors, but were able to send out a distress call on their Emergency Satellite Beacon, which was then passed on to the Ridge Meadows RCMP.
Officials were able to make cell phone contact with the boys, who were lightly equipped and unprepared to camp out in sub-zero temperatures.
A rescue team was hastily put together at about 7:40 p.m. and transported part way up the mountain via an access road using a side-by-side UTV. Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue (RMSAR) says that a punctured tire meant the second up had a long hike ahead of them while the UTV limped its way back to base.
However, the team was able to reach the boys at 1:40 a.m., and discovered the situation was more serious than they initially thought. Although they did have a tent and sleeping bags, the equipment wasn’t suitable for a mountain environment in winter.
Two of the boys were soaking wet from the hike up and with no heat source, RMSAR says that hypothermia was well underway.
“The team got them into dry clothing and started heating water and food. In the meantime, the second team was making their way to our gear Cache where extra supplies of food, water, propane and heat packs were stored,” says RMSAR.
Luckily, conditions allowed for a helicopter to come and transport the boys out of the site at daylight, and they were sent to the hospital for evaluation.