Central Okanagan Search and Rescue personnel were deployed on the evening of Valentine’s Day to find a lost amateur geologist.
COSAR says the callout happened “right at suppertime,” and that its volunteers were quickly dispatched to the Chute Lake area to help police in locating the man.
“Just as dusk was changing to dark, the RCMP helicopter spotted the person and were able to guide an officer on the ground to him,” said search and rescue.
Both returned to the police vehicle, which was stuck on a nearby forest service road.
COSAR says its crews remained on standby, and that resources were retrieved to haul the vehicle out. But as the resources were en route, the officer was able to drive the vehicle, and the lost geologist, back to Kelowna.
“Everyone was back home by 9 p.m.,” said COSAR, “to continue their Valentine’s Day.”
In related news, Penticton Search and Rescue was called out earlier this week to rescue a stuck off-roader between Peachland and Summerland.
PENSAR said the person contacted police after all self-recovery options had been exhausted — and that the call was made with ample daylight and before evening temperatures began dropping.
“Although this individual found themselves in a less-than-ideal situation, they demonstrated a proactive approach to prevent it from becoming a more urgent task and severe outcome,” said PENSAR, which said it was successful in extracting the individual, who was said to be in good spirits.
“To increase the chances of a positive outcome, don’t wait for the situation to become dire — call 911 before changing conditions turn a situation from benign to severe.”