An RCMP story about a challenging rescue in the winter, in the northern wilderness has a happy ending. Around 9:30 p.m. on November 14th, Patuanak RCMP received a missing persons report about a man who was hunting with a friend but hadn’t responded to attempts to guide him out of the thick woods.

Constable Kirk Ingham, the acting corporal at the Detachment, explains that although the 60-year-old hunter wasn’t new to the bush, anytime someone isn’t heard from in the wilderness, it’s serious. It was cold and dark and along with dense bush and forest, there was muskeg which someone could unknowingly step into and become injured, and if you fall through, you could get wet and freeze. Add to that, wolves had been seen in the area.

Three RCMP officers responded from the Patuanak Detachment and met with Canadian Rangers on site. The Beauval Detachment was also called to help, along with Police Dog Services from Meadow Lake RCMP and Response Team conservation officers with the Provincial Protective Services Branch.

At first, no calls from the man were heard as officers moved into the woods. A police vehicle siren was sporadically turned on to help the hunter find his way. Later, rescuers heard a distant voice. Ingham says the 60 year old was wet when he was found, and his pants were frozen. He was brought out of the forest and transported to his home community.

Ingham says teamwork was essential in finding the missing man. Patuanak is about 400 kilometres north of North Battleford.

A few examples of the local terrain, as provided by the RCMP: