At 6:30 a.m. on Feb. 28th, Smithers RCMP received a report of an overdue/missing hunter.
According to a Smithers RCMP press release, a 72-year-old Burns Lake man went goat hunting in the Bates Range, northeast of Fort Babine (100 km north of Smithers). The experienced and prepared hunter normally kept in touch with his spouse via an inReach Two-Way Satellite Communicator twice daily. She last had contact with him early on Feb. 27.
Smithers RCMP were unable to contact the missing hunter via inReach, so Search and Rescue was activated. inReach provided coordinates of the last contact, approximately 3 hours from Smithers.
Bulkley Valley Search and Rescue deployed a helicopter and located the hunter, safe and sound, near his truck. His inReach device was not functioning. The hunter was able to drive out on his own and return safely to Burns Lake.