A young couple and their dog were lucky to be spotted by search crews Thursday after spending a week stuck in the backcountry.
On Thursday, Mounties from the Columbia Valley and Kimberley RCMP detachments put out a notice asking the public for help locating Catherine Gibbons, 22, and Damon Brodeur, 24.
Police said Gibbons was last heard from on Oct. 24 and was reported missing on Oct. 30. They said they learned Thursday that Brodeur may have been camping with her and was also missing.
No foul play was suspected in their disappearance, and search crews were able to locate them from the air Thursday afternoon.
An RCMP aircraft flying over a remote area along Quin Creek Forest Service Road east of Wasa, B.C.
“An RCMP officer and a search and rescue volunteer onboard the aircraft spotted the couple’s SUV, notably stuck in a creek crossing filled with snow and ice,” said Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey, spokesperson for the BC RCMP’s Southeast District, in a news release.
“An outstretched orange tarp, a large arrow and the word ‘HELP’ each etched in the snow within close proximity to the abandoned vehicle, ultimately led to the discovery of the man and woman, who had taken up shelter in a nearby cabin,” O’Donaghey said.
The couple was rescued and taken to hospital as a precaution, police said. They had been stranded for roughly a week and had their dog with them. Police said all three were “in good spirits” when rescuers arrived.
Both the Columbia Valley and Kimberley RCMP detachments participated in the search, alongside Columbia Valley Search and Rescue, Civilian Air Search and Rescue Association, the BC Conservation Officer Service and Cold Stream Helicopters, according to police.
