17-year-old lost in wilderness builds snow cave to survive, Canadian rescuers say

A 17-year-old snowmobiling in the British Columbia wilderness realized Saturday that he’d left his father and brother behind somewhere on the trail.

“I tried to get back the way I came, but I destroyed the trail in the process,” the teen told CTV News. He found himself alone in “unfamiliar terrain,” not knowing that his father had turned back to help his brother, who had become stuck.

The 17-year-old realized he was lost somewhere in the Mica Mountain snowmobiling area, about 60 miles east of 100 Mile House on the western border of Wells Gray Provincial Park, CBC reported. But he kept calm, rescuers say.

“His choices definitely were quite mature,” said Val Severin, search manager with South Cariboo Search and Rescue, according to the network. “He didn’t panic and lose track of the situation. He understood just the right thing to do.”

The teen parked his snowmobile in an open area where it would be clearly visible to searchers, then dug out a snow cave to await rescue, the Vancouver Sun reported.

Meanwhile, searchers and Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers were searching for the teen after his family reported him missing using GPS, CBC reported.

“The terrain that he was in is lots of creeks and tree wells, all those things we’ve seen in recent weeks where folks have actually lost their lives,” Severin told the Vancouver Sun.

But the teen’s preparations paid off, rescuers say.

“This young man made our task a little less difficult by staying in place and having some backcountry winter survival knowledge,” wrote South Cariboo Search and Rescue on Facebook, with a photo of his “incredible” snow cave.

“His body heat would keep him warm and comfortable in there,” Severin told CBC. “He had food and water and was just set up for the night.”

Rescuers called the teen’s mother, who was worried he’d be “found laying under his snowmobile or maybe headfirst in a tree somewhere, suffocating,” at 11 p.m. to report they’d discovered her son safe in his snow cave, CTV News reported.

“He was nestled in the snow cave all comfortable and warm with food and water,” Severin said, according to the Vancouver Sun.

“I would have been able to stay the night, but it would have been a rough night,” the 17-year-old told CTV News.

Rescuers reunited him with his family, CBC reported.

“He was quite calm and very, very thankful,” Severin told the network. “Very appreciative of everybody’s efforts and he couldn’t stop thanking us enough.”

Rescuers with South Cariboo Search and Rescue wrote on Facebook the teen “did everything right after things went wrong.”

“He did what we all hope for,” said Sandra Riches, executive director of the BC AdventureSmart program, CTV News reported.