A man and woman were found alive in the backcountry of southeast B.C. Thursday after they were last seen a week before.
RCMP say Damon Brodeur, 24, and Catherine Gibbons, 22, were last heard from on Oct. 24, and were believed to be in the Columbia Valley area.
Police said Columbia Valley RCMP were notified about Gibbons’ disappearance on Wednesday, and later determined Brodeur was missing as well. The two were believed to be camping together.
On Thursday, police said a RCMP aircraft spotted Gibbons’ vehicle, a silver 2004 Hyundai Sante Fe, while conducting an aerial search of a remote area along Quin Creek Forest Service Road in the Rocky Mountains east of Wasa, B.C.
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey said in a statement the vehicle was “notably stuck in a creek crossing filled with snow and ice.”
Photos released by police show the couple had written “HELP” in large letters in the snow close to their stuck vehicle, along with an arrow pointing toward a nearby cabin where they had taken shelter.
RCMP said the couple had been stranded in the cabin for roughly the entire time they were missing, along with their dog.
“All were in good spirits,” O’Donaghey said.
All three were safely extracted from the area, and the couple was taken to a local hospital for a medical assessment as a precaution.
RCMP said they were assisted by Columbia Valley Search and Rescue, the Civilian Air Search & Rescue Association, the BC Conservation Officer’s Service and Cold Stream Helicopters in their search.