Latest news with #QuesnelSearchAndRescue
The Independent
2 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Man rescued from wilderness after carving ‘HELP' into rock
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.'
The Independent
3 days 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.'
Globe and Mail
5 days ago
- Globe and Mail
Missing B.C. man's creative survival skills including drinking pond water keeps him alive in wilderness
Staff Sgt. Brad McKinnon of the Williams Lake RCMP said he has seen 'some very exceptional things' during his 20 years in policing, but the story of 39-year-old Andrew Barber could have had a very different ending. McKinnon said a police helicopter coming from Prince George spotted the man in the afternoon of Aug. 8 in a remote area north of McLeese Lake – nine days after he was first reported missing to RCMP on July 31. 'He had sustained an injury to his right leg, and he was severely dehydrated,' McKinnon said. But Barber knew how to help himself. A picture posted on Facebook by Quesnel Search and Rescue shows the makeshift shelter he built for himself out of wood and mud with the shelter leaning up against a rock with the word 'Help' scrawled on it. It was at that location where rescuers eventually found Barber, not far from where his truck had broken down while travelling on a forest service road. Once stabilized with assistance from police on scene and Quesnel Search and Rescue members, Barber was flown out by helicopter and transported by ambulance to Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake, from which he has been since released, McKinnon said. 'I'm told, he is doing quite well,' McKinnon said. But the story could have had a different outcome, given Barber's lack of water. 'He was literally slurping unclean pond water to stay hydrated,' McKinnon said. 'The human body can go a long time without food, but water is a different situation.' McKinnon said Barber also 'munched on whatever he could find' during his time in the woods. McKinnon also praised the work of the RCMP's various partners in the search, including Quesnel Search and Rescue. 'Today's result is why we train, why we respond, and why we never give up,' the group posted on Facebook. McKinnon said he cannot answer how close the search for Barber came to turning into a recovery mission. '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 said. 'We had been at this for nine days, and it was essentially like looking for a needle in a haystack,' he added. 'The Cariboo region of British Columbia is beautiful, but it is immense, and there are tons of rural and wilderness areas.' McKinnon said it is not clear why Barber was in the area described as 'boggy' and remote, but his 'above average understanding of the wilderness' and ingenuity contributed to his survival. 'The human drive to survive is a powerful thing,' McKinnon said.
CTV News
5 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
5 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.'
