Video: Who should cover search and rescue costs? Grace Ke reports.
A group of ten skiers is safe and sound this morning after becoming lost at a mountain resort in the West Kootenay region.
The group, all from Washington state, were reported overdue late Sunday afternoon after failing to return from a day at the Red Mountain Resort near Rossland.
Rescue crews were quickly able to locate some tracks which led them along the backside of Grey Mountain near Esling Creek.
The group had started a small fire while they waiting for assistance.
Teams finally spotted the group around one Monday morning.
RCMP say because the terrain was challenging, the group “set in” for the night and were brought out at first daylight by helicopter.
“It was a navigational error, not intending to ski the backcountry,” said Cpl. Dave Johnson.
“They made some right decisions: staying together, starting a fire and waiting for search-and-rescue to come find them. They were prepared in that sense, but they were in-bound skiers.”
Johnson said a helicopter headed to the scene at first light on Monday and by mid-morning had already completed its first trip ferrying the skiers to safety. He said it would take several more trips throughout the day to retrieve all of the skiers and rescuers.
No one was hurt in the incident.
With a file from The Canadian Press
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