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Eight people, one a baby, rescued after getting lost near Port Alberni

A family of eight, one of them a baby, were rescued Sunday night after they became lost in Rogers Creek Nature Trail near Port Alberni. The three adults and five children were on a hike around 4 p.m. when they got lost.
photo - Trail head for Rogers Creek Nature Trail near Port Alberni.
Trail head for Rogers Creek Nature Trail near Port Alberni.

A family of eight, one of them a baby, were rescued Sunday night after they became lost in Rogers Creek Nature Trail near Port Alberni.

The three adults and five children were on a hike around 4 p.m. when they got lost.

“They weren’t really prepared for the conditions and got spun around and ended up in an awkward position on a steep embankment,” said Erik Waldriff, search manager for the Alberni Valley Rescue Squad.

As it grew dark, and with temperatures around the freezing, the hikers called Port Alberni RCMP, which launched a search.

Police were able to establish GPS coordinates by pinging the hikers’ cellphone. About 20 search and rescue volunteers from the Alberni Valley Rescue Squad were dispatched around 8 p.m.

Waldriff said knowing there were children involved “just kind of ups the urgency in terms of reducing the amount of time that goes by. We were at freezing [temperatures] so we wanted to get there as quick as we can.”

The family was located around 10 p.m. and rescuers escorted them about a kilometre back to the highway where their vehicle was parked.

B.C. Ambulance paramedics were on hand to check over the adults and children, who were cold but unharmed.

“We had two ambulances on standby because of the ages of the youth and the temperatures, but after a quick look over they were good to go,” Waldriff said. “Everyone was doing well and the baby was unharmed and doing just fine.”

kderosa@timescolonist.com