A Quesnel-area man spent nearly 20 hours in the bush after his truck and then his snowmobile became stranded in the snow.
The bad luck began on Thursday at about 4 p.m. when, according to Quesnel RCMP, his truck was disabled due to deep snow on the 100 Road, about 70 kilometres southwest of the community.
He decided to ride his snowmobile to his property but that too became stranded. Fortunately, his spouse had stayed behind at the truck and used the vehicle's VHF radio to call for help.
A man in Likely heard the call early the next morning and alerted the Quesnel RCMP, who in turn called out Quesnel Search and Rescue.
With the help of a helicopter, searchers found the man. He was brought back to safety by snowmobile and transported to the hospital with symptoms of mild hypothermia and cold exposure.
"When the man's snowmobile got stuck, he attempted to walk back to his wife and vehicle," said Quesnel RCMP Sgt. Richard Weseen. "Exhaustion set in and the man hunkered down for the night and waited for help.
"It is important that those who utilize the backcountry be prepared and have the equipment for emergencies. The essentials are not simply food and extra clothing in this day and age, but also include technology such as GPS tracking and satellite phones."
