Hunter Found Safe In Wells Gray Park

By 250 News

Prince George, B.C. - Clearwater RCMP are just releasing word this weekend about the overnight search for a missing hunter in Wells Gray Park late last week.

Fortunately, the 42-year-old Courtenay man made his own way out of the bush and was in good condition when he was located at 10am on Friday morning.  But RCMP and Search and Rescue spent a long night working to find him.

Police say the former Clearwater resident was hunting in the Swiftwater area of the park.  Corporal Chris Newel says the detachment received a call from the man's wife at about 11pm Thursday evening...she was concerned because her husband had failed to check-in at 5pm, as per their plan.

He says, given this was a lone person in the bush under winter conditions, the Provincial Emergency Program quickly activated Wells Gray Search and Rescue and members were on-scene by 12:30am Friday morning -- they spent the night combing the wilderness until Kamloops SAR took over at 8am. 

Corporal Newel says the man did the right thing:  he had killed a moose and by the time he had prepared the animal it was too late to head back to his truck, so he built a fire and prepared for the night, rather than trying to make his way out in the dark.

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