Hope (Hope Volunteer Search and Rescue social media) – Hope SAR was tasked out at 10:30PM Tuesday night (August 26) to the Zupjok, Llama, Alpaca trail. A solo hiker had gotten lost on the trail and had called her sister to notify her of the problem, who then contacted RCMP when she couldn’t reach her sister again.
Thankfully, the hiker was able to locate the trail again and made her way to the Zupjok summit where Hope SAR found her and escorted her back to the trailhead. The team was back at base by 6:00 am.
A few important notes to remember.
First, and foremost, SAR acknowledge how well prepared the hiker was for an overnight emergency. She had a tent and was prepared to hunker down and wait for daylight to complete the hike. SAR would like to remind all hikers to carry the 10 Essentials for instances likes this. Even in summer, a night on the mountain without these necessities can be extremely uncomfortable and/or dangerous. As we head into colder overnight temperatures it can be deadly.
Second, her sister had been given a trip plan and knew exactly where to send searchers. A trip plan left with a trusted person is equally important as the 10 Essentials.
Third, please remember that a call for SAR is always free. In our experience, batteries are almost always nearly drained by the time calls are made and cell service can be spotty. Always call 911 first. Searchers can take many hours to reach a subject and the earlier this gets started, the better the outcome. Many phones now have the ability to send a message to 911 even when there is no cell reception. Call early and stay put (unless you’re location is putting you in danger) because we will be coming to the coordinates taken from the call.
