Penticton Search and Rescue (PENSAR) had a busy, and successful, day earlier this week.
On Tuesday, the search and rescue group was called out twice, once in the afternoon, then again in the evening.
Both callouts were initiated by Penticton RCMP, with the first one for helping locate a missing senior in the hospital area.
PENSAR said it deployed 19 personnel into four search teams, with the senior being successfully located at 5 p.m.
While returning to demobilize, a second call came in from the RCMP, requesting help to locate a stranded ATV user stuck in deep snow in the Munro Lake area, northeast of Summerland.
Seven personnel, divided into two search teams, were quickly dispatched to the area.
“The search teams found the snow conditions in the Munroe Lake area difficult to navigate,” said PENSAR. “However, they did locate the subject after 9 p.m., and escorted him down to the safety of his vehicle.”
The search-and-rescue agency noted that if you plan on visiting the backcountry this spring, be prepared as there’s still plenty of snow at upper elevations, and that visitors may find themselves in untenable situations.
PENSAR added that “responses to these types of tasks can be challenging for SAR teams as they take time and specialized resources. Our recommendation is to plan and prepare and err on the side of caution until backcountry snow conditions improve.”