Eight people, including a child as young as three, were rescued in the early morning of Aug. 9, after a storm hit their boat and left them lost and wandering through Frog Lake First Nation bush at night.
The party of three adults and five youths, ranging in age from three to 14, had left to go boating on Frog Lake the previous day, according to Cpl. Roy Auger, acting commander for the Elk Point detachment. “They went out in the afternoon with the warm weather,” he said, noting they were dressed for warmth as well, with one wearing a bathing suit and one of the kids wearing a small dress. “The storm obviously caught them off guard.”
Their boat sustained some damage, but the group made it to the shore, and then attempted to make it to Highway 897, he said. “When traveling through the bush, they obviously got lost . . . and got disoriented, and ended up going in circles.”
One of the adults had a phone, and did call 911, reporting that they were lost, but his phone later died and RCMP didn’t have any further information at the time. At about 12:30 a.m., family members started to get worried, since the boaters had been expected back at 11 p.m., and put in a call for service. Some local volunteers, along with Elk Point RCMP, started a search, and at 6 a.m., the Canadian Forces Search and Rescue from Cold Lake responded to the incident with a helicopter, according to Auger.
Half an hour later, that search crew located the lost band, suffering from minor exposure to the elements, and transported them to waiting RCMP, said Auger.
In a press release, RCMP reminded boaters to notify their friends or family of their travel plans and any changes to those plans, with the release noting the “prompt response” of family members helped to locate all the missing individuals quickly and without any major injuries.
Auger added, “You should check the forecast, definitely, if you’re going to be out on the water for extended periods.”