A woman from Vancouver learned a valuable lesson about the importance of notifying friends before venturing out on a camping trip, after Sunshine Coast RCMP initiated a search for her last week.
On June 17, a resident in Secret Cove called police to report that a car had been parked at a trailhead on Wescan Road for three days.
According to media relations’ officer Const. Harrison Mohr, the caller said that the trail, which goes out to the ocean, was only a short hike, and he was concerned someone may be lost.
Mohr said RCMP located the vehicle and determined it was owned by a female from Vancouver. Neighbourhood enquiries were conducted, but no one knew why the vehicle was parked there.
“Officers from the Vancouver Police Department went to the owner’s residence in Vancouver, and were eventually able to confirm that the owner and a friend had gone camping on the Sunshine Coast,” said Mohr. “Officers later met with the owner and explained the concern for her safety. It’s important that anyone leaving their vehicle to go hiking or camping for any length of time leaves a note with their contact information or the date and time of their intended return.
“A note in a car window can let us know whether someone is still out as planned, or whether someone is overdue and needs help. False alarms like these not only require the effort of multiple officers, but our next step would have been to call out search and rescue.”
Mohr said the owner was very apologetic and said she would be sure to leave a note in the future.
