Lyonel Doherty
Times-Chronicle
“Stoked.”
That’s how an Oliver/Osoyoos rescue dog and her handler felt during a search for a lost hiker on Monday.
Kaya and handler Michael Arychuk from Oliver Osoyoos Search and Rescue were utilized in the search for a hiker who became disoriented in the Mahoney Lake area southeast of Okanagan Falls.
Seventeen search team members from Penticton, Oliver/Osoyoos, the RCMP and two dogs responded to the task.
Penticton SAR manager Anne Benn said the hiker did all of the right things. “Once the individual knew they were lost, they remained calm, moved into an open area and stopped moving, called police right away for help, which allowed SAR resources to be mobilized early giving them the advantage of using valuable daylight to find him.”
The hiker advised searchers that he was wearing a bright jacket and had food and water.
As the search progressed into the later part of the afternoon, a helicopter located the hiker at around at 5 p.m. Searchers loaded the hiker and flew him back to the search command area where he was assessed by paramedics.
Randy Brown from PENSAR said he “loved” the fact that Kaya was able to take part in the search.
Arychuk said he and Kaya were only on task for a short duration before the hiker was successfully located.
“She was having fun and doing her job well,” he said, confirming this was Kaya’s first official search as a certified canine under Emergency Management British Columbia.
“We were totally stoked to respond,” Arychuck said. “She came out using her wilderness air scenting capabilities looking for any human scent.”
He explained if Kaya had picked up a scent, she would have followed it and alerted him of any clues.
In this case, they were only in the field for 30 minutes before the hiker was found by a helicopter.
“I’m glad he was found when he was,” Arychuk said, noting the temperature was getting cooler that evening.
Kaya’s primary response area is the Okanagan Similkameen, but the team will provide mutual aid outside the region if requested.
As the weather warms and more people venture outside, the BC Search and Rescue Association urges individuals to ensure they have the basics with them.
Check out AdventureSmart.ca for 10 tips and download the AdventureSmart trip planning app.
Search and rescue teams urge people not to hesitate to call for help if they are lost.
It’s free, and calling early makes their job faster, easier and safer.
