A 76-year-old woman who went missing near Cumberland on Saturday was located in dense forest after a family member used a phone tracking app and RCMP confirmed her location by helicopter.
Comox Valley Search and Rescue was called out for the operation, which turned into a large-scale effort involving friends, family, convergent volunteers, RCMP, BC Conservation officers, BCEHS, staff from the Comox Valley Waste Management Centre, and SAR teams from Arrowsmith, Nanaimo and Campbell River.
The search lasted around eight hours and made use of modern tools like drones, helicopters, and K9 teams.
Thinking outside the box, a relative used the “Find My Device” feature to help narrow down her location. RCMP’s Air 8 helicopter was able to spot her from the air, leading ground teams directly to where she was found.
Not long after wrapping up, SAR teams were paged out a second time for a missing hiker on the Rosewall Creek Trail.
That call was short-lived—RCMP Police Dog Services located the hiker quickly and SAR was stood down.
Search crews say while cell phones played a key role in Saturday’s outcome, they’re not always reliable in remote areas.
Comox Valley Search and Rescue are using these two cases to remind outdoor enthusiasts to plan ahead, know your surroundings, and carry an emergency communication device in case you’re out of service or your battery dies.
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