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Couple safe after chilly night on Metchosin’s Castle Peak

A couple who became lost on Metchosin’s Castle Peak Trail spent hours after dark in the rain and cold before being rescued early Monday morning.

A couple who became lost on Metchosin’s Castle Peak Trail spent hours after dark in the rain and cold before being rescued early Monday morning.

The pair were located and escorted to their car by Metchosin ground search and rescue volunteers by 3:30 a.m. That was 10 hours after the 49-year-old woman called 911 on Sunday evening to say they had taken a wrong turn while walking their dogs and were lost without warm clothes, flashlights, food or water. The woman’s cellphone lost its battery charge shortly after talking to West Shore RCMP and police were unable to ping its location.

Searchers had some idea of where to start since the woman was able to describe key landmarks along the trail such as a gate and power lines, said search manager Jack Buchanan.

As the search team got closer, around midnight, they began to call out and heard the couple reply, which allowed them to narrow in on their location. It took another few hours navigating the challenging terrain to actually find the pair.

Buchanan said the couple were not in waterproof gear but were able to shelter themselves enough to stay fairly dry.

“It was raining but they did a pretty good job of keeping themselves dry,” Buchanan said.

They had with them their two dogs, a Bernese Mountain dog-cross and another smaller dog.

The couple did not need medical attention. It’s unclear if they are from Metchosin or are regular users of the trail.

Buchanan said Castle Peak trail, a 12-kilometre loop, is a “spider’s web” of poorly-marked paths which makes it easy to become disoriented, especially as daylight fades. He said it’s a possibility the couple were thrown off by the end of daylight time on Sunday which causes it to become dark an hour earlier.

He said the couple was smart to call as soon as they became lost and were lucky to be in a spot where their call could get through to 911, as cell reception in the area is spotty.

Hikers are advised to carry extra food, water, warm clothes, a fully-charged cellphone and a whistle. Backcountry hikers should be equipped with a GPS system or compass.

The search involved 14 search and rescue volunteers, a few Metchosin volunteer firefighters and Capital Regional District staff, who helped the searchers access the watershed roads to allow quicker access to the couple’s location.

kderosa@timescolonist.com