B.C. search and rescue group saves hikers stranded on a glacier from wildfire
CBC
As wildfires continue to burn across the Kootenay region, a group of four women were helicoptered off a glacier in B.C.'s West Kootenay region last week.
The dramatic rescue, amidst a challenging wildfire season, has officials warning people to be careful.
A search and rescue team flew through thick smoke, near an approaching wildfire to find the hikers, who were stranded on the Macbeth Ice Fields, northeast of Kaslo, about 390 kilometres east of Kelowna.
The four women, who all live in British Columbia, had been camping when the wind picked up, said Mark Jennings-Bates, the Kaslo Search and Rescue manager, who led the rescue.
"Embers were falling on their tent so they ran for their lives," Jennings-Bates told CBC's Daybreak South.
The rescue was especially challenging with smoke making visibility difficult for the helicopter pilot, he said.
"It's like a war zone," he said, describing the conditions.
"We were very fortunate to get a helicopter in there, we nearly had to abandon the rescue attempt."
Jennings-Bates said the stranded women were able to send a text message via satellite through Apple's emergency SOS function, and that ultimately made the rescue possible.
"We were just able to sneak over a ridge and found them exactly where the cellphone ping said they were, which is really unusual and very satisfying," he said.
"In this instance, their cellphone literally saved their lives."
Jennings-Bates said the rescue is yet another reminder of the need to be prepared, especially during wildfire season.
"Have a plan, make sure people know that plan," he said.
It's a message being echoed across the province with eight weeks still left in summer, and widespread dry conditions.
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running Game
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing Game
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic Game
A democracy watchdog is questioning the practice of municipal governments receiving free tickets to events hosted at public venues, following a CBC News investigation.
There was cautious optimism in the air as provincial and territorial premiers began arriving in Saskatoon to meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney.
For years, Ken Johnston has hiked Black heritage trails across the U.S., retracing the steps of civil rights pioneers and the freedom seekers who fled slavery and made the long journey north.
WARNING: This article references sexual assault and may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone impacted by it.
An artist is putting pen to paper to revive his boyhood memories of growing up in Labrador, filled with berry picking, firefighting and hijacking.
Almost a month into the search for two missing Pictou County children, searchers are beginning to wear out mentally and physically.
Dozens of wildfire evacuees from Pimicikamak Cree Nation checked into a hotel in Niagara Falls, Ont., on Sunday after days spent without sleep in a Winnipeg evacuation centre.
Yellowhead County Mayor Wade Williams took a moment Sunday morning to express gratitude to some of his constituents.
Wildfires in Saskatchewan are expected to continue to grow aggressively during the next few days, fuelled by high temperatures, winds and dry conditions. And there's no sign of relief in sight, according to the latest update from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency.
Telecom giant Bell Canada has announced plans to build six artificial intelligence data centres in B.C.
Amid economic uncertainty in Canada due in part to U.S. tariffs, the governments of Ontario and Saskatchewan have reached an agreement with the aim of taking steps to reduce trade barriers between the two provinces.
Prince Edward Island golf operators are hoping to build on last year's record season, in part by tapping into Canadians planning trips to the province instead of the U.S.
Prime Minister Mark Carney sat down with oil and gas executives in Calgary Sunday to discuss partnerships and to get their input for his plans to make Canada an energy superpower.