Latest news with #BobZimmerman
The Independent
7 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Man rescued from Canadian wilderness survived by drinking pond water for nine days
A man who went missing for nine days in the Canadian wilderness survived by drinking pond water and fashioning a shelter from wood and mud, search and rescue teams have said. Andrew Barber was found after he carved the word 'HELP' into a rock and 'SOS' into the mud to help rescuers find him. The 39-year-old was reported missing on 31 July after his pick-up truck broke down in the vast and boggy Cariboo region of British Columbia in Canada. He was recovered on 8 August, severely dehydrated and with an injured leg. 'He was in poor health, he was having a hard time standing,' Bob Zimmerman, from Quesnel Search and Rescue, told CBC News. 'I don't know that he would have made it another 24 hours without us recovering him.' A picture posted online by Quesnel Search and Rescue shows the makeshift shelter that Mr Barber built for himself out of wood and mud, which features the shelter leaning up against a rock with the word "Help" scrawled on it. He was found by rescuers and flown to Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake for treatment. Rescuers said he has now been discharged and is doing 'quite well,' but that the outcome could have been very different. "He was literally slurping unclean pond water to stay hydrated," Staff Sgt. Brad McKinnon of the Williams Lake Royal Canadian Mounted Police McKinnon, told Canadian Press News. "The human body can go a long time without food, but water is a different situation. "I'll put it this way — had we not found him when we did, I would have had graver concerns than I currently do," he added. "We had been at this for nine days, and it was essentially like looking for a needle in a haystack. The Cariboo region of British Columbia is beautiful, but it is immense, and there are tons of rural and wilderness areas." In a post on their Facebook page, Quesnel Search and Rescue wrote: 'After over a week in the wilderness, our subject has been located alive during today's search from the air. 'This outcome is the result of countless hours on the ground and in the air, using every resource and piece of technology available to us. Quesnel Search and Rescue is on call 24/7, 365 days a year — and our entire team is made up of dedicated volunteers who give their time, skills, and heart to help those in need. 'We want to extend our deepest thanks to our partners: RCMP, PEP Air, and BC Emergency Health Services for their outstanding support in bringing this search to a successful result is why we train, why we respond, and why we never give up.'
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
B.C. man lucky to be alive after nearly 2 weeks in the wilderness
An RCMP helicopter and a missing man's SOS sign and shelter are pictured outside of Williams Lake, B.C. (Courtesy: Quesnel Search and Rescue/Facebook) A B.C. man who was missing for nearly two weeks is lucky to be alive after he was found in a remote wilderness area surviving off the land, his rescuers say. The last contact anyone had with the individual was on July 27, Bob Zimmerman, president and search manager of Quesnel Search and Rescue told CTV News. He was reported missing on July 31, and the Williams Lake RCMP asked the team to aid in the search on Aug. 3. After days of searching a vast area, crews eventually found the man's truck and an RCMP helicopter ultimately spotted him about 50 kilometers northwest of Williams Lake on Friday. Zimmerman said though the outdoorsman was uninjured, he was 'not in good shape at all' when he was finally rescued. 'We're not sure if he'd have survived another 24 hours without food,' he said. The man survived on pond water alone and stuffed his clothes with grass to keep warm. When the police helicopter touched down, the 39-year-old was standing next to a rock on which he had written 'help' on both sides. Against the rock he had built a shelter out of dirt and branches. Zimmerman said the man did the right thing by staying put and waiting for help once he realized he was lost, but as a piece of advice urged anyone going out into the wilderness to bring a device with satellite capability to call for help. 'This outcome is the result of countless hours on the ground and in the air, using every resource and piece of technology available to us,' Quesnel SAR wrote on social media following the successful rescue. 'Today's result is why we train, why we respond, and why we never give up.'
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
B.C. man rescued after nearly 2 weeks lost in the wilderness
An RCMP helicopter and a missing man's SOS sign and shelter are pictured outside of Williams Lake, B.C. (Courtesy: Quesnel Search and Rescue/Facebook) A B.C. man who was missing for nearly two weeks is lucky to be alive after he was found in a remote wilderness area surviving off the land, his rescuers say. The last contact anyone had with the individual was on July 27, Bob Zimmerman, president and search manager of Quesnel Search and Rescue told CTV News. He was reported missing on July 31, and the Williams Lake RCMP asked the team to aid in the search on Aug. 3. After days of searching a vast area, crews eventually found the man's truck and an RCMP helicopter ultimately spotted him about 50 kilometers northwest of Williams Lake on Friday. Zimmerman said though outdoorsman was uninjured, he was 'not in good shape at all' when he was finally rescued. 'We're not sure if he'd have survived another 24 hours without food,' he said. The man survived on pond water alone and stuffed his clothes with grass to keep warm. When the police helicopter touched down, the 39-year-old was standing next to a rock on which he had written 'help' on both sides. Against the rock he had built a shelter out of dirt and branches. Zimmerman said the man did the right thing by staying put and waiting for help once he realized he was lost, but as a piece of advice urged anyone going out into the wilderness to bring a device with satellite capability to call for help. 'This outcome is the result of countless hours on the ground and in the air, using every resource and piece of technology available to us,' Quesnel SAR wrote on social media following the successful rescue. 'Today's result is why we train, why we respond, and why we never give up.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Man rescued after he went missing for more than a week in northern B.C. wilderness
After more than a week in the B.C. wilderness, a man has been rescued thanks to the efforts of Quesnel Search and Rescue and the Williams Lake RCMP. The man was found in the bush, near a shelter he had created out of mud and sticks, about 50 kilometres northwest of Williams Lake, B.C., said Bob Zimmerman, Quesnel Search and Rescue (SAR) president and manager. The man was reported missing to RCMP July 31 after he was last seen July 28. Zimmerman said his team first received word of the incident on Aug. 3. Quesnel SAR first looked for the man by air with P.E.P. Air (Provincial Emergency Program Air), a volunteer aviation society. But they had no luck during the first few days of the search. Zimmerman said the initial information around a possible location was quite vague, but rescuers knew he'd been travelling in a pickup truck. "We had to cover a large area to try and sweep around that centre spot," Zimmerman said, "which is why we used P.E.P. Air, because to drive on the ground and check roads with ATVs, UTVs, or vehicles, there's hundreds of kilometres of drivable trails in that area." The search team also tried using electronic surveillance to try to connect with any cellphones in the area. That too, was unsuccessful. Finally, a SAR observer went out with an RCMP helicopter crew on Friday. "The observer spotted a glint of sunshine off the windshield from the truck," Zimmerman said. Rescuers found the truck, but not the lost man. Then, about five kilometres away from the truck, crews say they spotted a man standing by a lake and a big rock with the word "HELP" written on it. "He had built a little mud shelter with moss and mud up against the big rock," Zimmerman said. The man, however, was in poor health. "He was having a hard time standing. I don't know that he would have made it another 24 hours without us recovering him," Zimmerman said. He did not have food on him, and Zimmerman said he had been drinking pond water. He'd also stuffed grass into his clothing to try to get more insulation from the elements, according to Zimmerman. Zimmerman recommended others to always have a charged cellphone on them — or, better yet, a satellite connector. "If people are going out, really the best thing to do is have something that will have a satellite connection for you. So you can always get a message out on a satellite by text as to where you are and what the problem is." The man was rescued in the RCMP helicopter and then connected with the ambulance service, Zimmerman said. "He's a lucky man."
CBC
3 days ago
- CBC
Man rescued after he went missing for more than a week in northern B.C. wilderness
Social Sharing After more than a week in the B.C. wilderness, a man has been rescued thanks to the efforts of Quesnel Search and Rescue and the Williams Lake RCMP. The man was found in the bush, near a shelter he had created out of mud and sticks, about 50 kilometres northwest of Williams Lake, B.C., said Bob Zimmerman, Quesnel Search and Rescue (SAR) president and manager. The man was reported missing to RCMP July 31 after he was last seen July 28. Zimmerman said his team first received word of the incident on Aug. 3. Quesnel SAR first looked for the man by air with P.E.P. Air (Provincial Emergency Program Air), a volunteer aviation society. But they had no luck during the first few days of the search. Zimmerman said the initial information around a possible location was quite vague, but rescuers knew he'd been travelling in a pickup truck. "We had to cover a large area to try and sweep around that centre spot," Zimmerman said, "which is why we used P.E.P. Air, because to drive on the ground and check roads with ATVs, UTVs, or vehicles, there's hundreds of kilometres of drivable trails in that area." The search team also tried using electronic surveillance to try to connect with any cellphones in the area. That too, was unsuccessful. Finally, a SAR observer went out with an RCMP helicopter crew on Friday. "The observer spotted a glint of sunshine off the windshield from the truck," Zimmerman said. Rescuers found the truck, but not the lost man. Then, about five kilometres away from the truck, crews say they spotted a man standing by a lake and a big rock with the word "HELP" written on it. "He had built a little mud shelter with moss and mud up against the big rock," Zimmerman said. The man, however, was in poor health. "He was having a hard time standing. I don't know that he would have made it another 24 hours without us recovering him," Zimmerman said. He did not have food on him, and Zimmerman said he had been drinking pond water. He'd also stuffed grass into his clothing to try to get more insulation from the elements, according to Zimmerman. Zimmerman recommended others to always have a charged cellphone on them — or, better yet, a satellite connector. "If people are going out, really the best thing to do is have something that will have a satellite connection for you. So you can always get a message out on a satellite by text as to where you are and what the problem is." The man was rescued in the RCMP helicopter and then connected with the ambulance service, Zimmerman said. "He's a lucky man."
