Mountain rescue all in a day's work
For the officers involved, it was just another job that needed to be done.
That's why a rescue performed by members of the Kamloops Rural RCMP detachment didn't have a spotlight shone on it on until Staff Sgt. Grant Learned happened upon the report five days later.
The incident began benignly with a 46-year-old woman hiking on Mount Paul on Saturday, March 2.
Just before 1 a.m. on Sunday, March 3, the detachment was called to a home in the 500-block of Cree Road after people saw a faint light on the mountain and could hear someone yelling.
Const. Robert Shanks, police-dog service handler Const. Dave Lewis and Zak the dog went into the area, saw a faint light on the west slope of the mountain and heard a faint female voice calling for help.
The officers were aware a cougar had been spotted in the area earlier in the week, adding to the urgency they felt.
The two headed up and along the ridge but, due to the terrain, lost sight of the light. Shanks stayed in one position, where he could see the illumination and, using radio communications, directed Lewis and Zak up the ridge and across to the stranded hiker.
Shanks then headed up to help Lewis with the woman, who had injured herself when she fell about 10 hours earlier.
She couldn't walk out on her own, so the officers brought in help from Kamloops Fire Rescue and the B.C. Ambulance Service who, with myriad tools, equipment and their own expertise, got the woman out, down and attended to by medical personnel.
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