This news article is tragic on many accounts....

DAWN WALTON
Globe and Mail Update
February 25, 2009 at 7:10 PM EST

During nearly 10 days stranded in the British Columbia backcountry, a pair of lost skiers stamped SOS signs in the snow — distress signals that were reported by helicopter pilots and skiers — but nobody went to look for them.

It wasn't until Tuesday morning that a helicopter pilot flying near Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in the B.C. interior noticed another SOS. As he was preparing to jot down the co-ordinates, he also saw signs of life.

“The pilot flew over the area, spotted someone on the ground waving who appeared to be in distress,” RCMP Constable Annie Linteau said Wednesday.

Full news article here

"Tragic' only in that it could have been so easily prevented...

-Blast

Exactly....

The story states 'they became disoriented and got lost.' So, Did they go out of bonds deliberately or by accident, and is this reason for the 'constables'rather cold assesssment?
A big canadian EH?

It looks like a major screw-up on both sides.

Did the authorities think the BEARS were making the SOS in the snow??? SOMEONE was out there, and had signaled that they were in trouble, and a bunch of mental zeros ignored it.

I'm sure this isn't the first time they've had people go out of bounds in BC. Unless, of course, they're all still out there, frozen or eaten.

Sue

That's appalling.

Regardless of their questionable decisions, the response to a distress signal in the snow is to count the rental skis and check the cars in the parking lot?

They were out there ten days. The granola bars and lack of water is a red herring, a detail released by the police to emphasize the mistakes of the victims -- it sure as hell didn't kill them. Neither did going out of bounds kill them, directly. What killed them was (a) getting lost and (b) the failure of the authorities to respond to their distress signals.

Everyones covering his ass. I hope there's a coroner's inquest on this one.

Sure am glad I am not the head of that agency...

Sad and unfortunate since it was avoidable. A Beacon and or a Routecard along with a proper SAR effort once the SOS was seen.

Bad on both sides.

This can/will also be bad for tourism to B.C. and can/could be made much worse depending on how the local authorities deal
with the situation.

VERY sad. I can only begin to imagine the hell they went through.

This is an all too common story. They never intended to be out that long. They were dressed/equipped just fine for their intended activity.

The fact that the gentleman survived is a testiment to their efforts to survive.

A $100 GPS would have most likely saved the woman's life ... assuming the batteries wouldn't have failed (I don't buy the GPS's are worthless since they run on batteries rant). Of course the journey back may have been difficult through that terrain.

A $450 PLB would have quickly brought rescue teams to them.

With with all due respect, I wonder if her family feels that her life was worth the $450?

THAT is why I own and carry a PLB when out in the 'field'.

Ken