It was a busy week for Bulkley Valley Search and Rescue (BVSAR) on Hudson Bay Mountain.
READ MORE: Bulkley Valley Search and Rescue called out Monday Night (Dec 28)
On Dec 28, BVSAR located two skiers aged 11 and 12 who had skied into unfamiliar territory late in the afternoon.
The two called 911 and stayed where they were until they were located below the cabin colony in a gully.
The 17 year old was successfully located, off trail and out of bounds, during the evening of Dec 31 and escorted back to the mountain ski lodge.
“If you plan to ski out of bounds, it’s essential that you have the proper training, equipment and navigation skills to get home safely,” a post on BVSAR’s Facebook page reminds skiers.
“Watch for ski area boundary markers and follow the rules of the resort.”
READ MORE: B.C. sees spike in search and rescue calls ahead of COVID-19 restrictions easing
“The two boys (on the 28th) did many things right that led to a positive outcome: 1) they had a communication device and were able to call for help; 2) when they realized they were lost they stopped moving, which made them easier to find; 3) they kept a positive attitude and did not panic; and 4) they had a backpack with extra clothes and some food.”
Three days later BVSAR responded to another call to locate a missing skier on the mountain.
Seven members of the BVSAR winter response team went out Dec 31 on snowmobiles and skis to locate a 17-yearold who got lost while skiing out of bounds.
In both instances, Hudson Bay Mountain Ski Patrol were able to assist BVSAR in locating the lost skiers.
“We are so incredibly grateful to everyone who mobilized to find the boys,” family member Katherine Hcarb said of the 11 and 12 year old boys.
A third incident Sunday night was not a search and rescue mission, but rather a call to assist the BC Ambulance Service in transporting an injured skier from their cabin to a waiting ambulance.
Four BVSAR members responded and slid the skier down a groomed trail in a rescue sled to the ambulance.
No information on the injured party was available at press time.
deb.meissner@interior-news.com
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Bulkley Valley Search and Rescue members prepare an injured skier to be transported to a waiting ambulance on Hudson Bay Mountain Jan. 3. (Facebook photo)
