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Busy Sunday for Search and Rescue

Penticton and District Search and Rescue responded to two separate calls bringing both parties home safe Sunday.
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Five Civil Air Search and Rescue Association members assisted with the South Okanagan search and rescue teams on Sunday to to reach hikers in the Brent Mountain area quickly and safely.

Sunday was a busy day for Penticton and District Search and Rescue (PENSAR) crews.

Two young women from Quebec were hiking near Brent Mountain Sunday afternoon when they became disoriented and ended up lost. The two had a charged cell phone and a strong enough signal to call for help.

PENSAR said in a release that the two made “the smart choice of staying together, staying in one place, finding shelter from the elements and using their available technology and resources.”

Their cell phone was pinged to give searches a high probability of detecting their location and they were located at Sheep Rock Mountain at approximately 7000 feet of elevation. PENSAR search technicians located the duo at 1:30 a.m.

“Staying together and staying where they were was critical to their rescue,” Mike Porter, a PENSAR search technician, said in a release. “Conditions were not ideal with rain, cold temperatures and high wind, and hypothermia was a considerable threat to these women.”

A team of 11 PENSAR members, 10 Oliver/Osoyoos Search and Rescue Members and five Civil Air Search and Rescue Association members were able to reach the hikers quickly and safely.

Also on Sunday, Penticton RCMP requested assistance for a missing person at the Skaha Bluffs. The subject was located safely thanks to the work of six PENSAR members and 10 Oliver/Osoyoos Search and Rescue members.