Search underway for scout leaders who became separated from group on Vancouver Island
Credit to Author: Ken Bradshaw| Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2020 14:26:33 +0000
Search-and-rescue crews are looking for two adult scout leaders in a remote area near Shirley after they became separated from the group they were with and didn’t return.
Five children and three adults hiked in from a logging road and set up camp in the wilderness about seven kilometres from their vehicle, said senior search-and-rescue manager Vickie Weber.
With Sunday morning’s wet and windy weather, the group decided to cut the trip short and two adults left to hike back to the van and bring it closer to the camp.
The van is parked on a logging road near Alligator Creek, about a 30-minute drive from West Coast Road.
Police and search-and-rescue members said they have been in contact with the group through the third scout leader, a Shirley firefighter.
Some search-and-rescue crews headed to the camp on utility terrain vehicles Sunday evening to retrieve the children and the leader, while others focused on the missing adults, who are part of the Sooke Scouts group.
Weber said high winds, heavy rain and snow expected Sunday night make for challenging conditions.
“Those are really miserable conditions for somebody that might be injured, which of course is a possibility,” Weber said. “We really don’t know what’s going on, but if you’re not moving, it’s cold.”
Weber said the area has seen rain for the past couple of days and river levels are high.
“The rivers are dangerous when they’re flooding, so we are very concerned for everybody’s safety,” she said.
About 20 search-and-rescue volunteers are involved with the search. Sooke RCMP officers and the Shirley Fire Department are also at the scene.
Searchers will begin by scouring several trails in the area, Weber said.
regan-elliott@timescolonist.com