Turner Valley RCMP say three foothills men requiring emergency assistance while hunting in the back country last weekend made all the right choices.
Cpl. Tiffany McGregor said the High River and Okotoks men were spending the day hunting and hiking in the Cat Creek area southwest of Longview on Nov. 29 when one of the men became unable to stand or walk due to leg and knee injuries.
McGregor said she is unsure whether the injuries were pre-existing or a result of the outing.
One of the men stayed with the injured man in a wooded area about 400 metres off the trail while the third trudged through snow for about three kilometres before he was able to get cell service and contact the RCMP at about 7 p.m.
“They did the right thing by calling right when they could,” McGregor said. “They were certainly dressed for the weather. They were definitely experienced.”
McGregor said Turner Valley RCMP and conservation officers used snowmobiles to access the area. The men, who McGregor said are in their 30s, were treated by EMS before midnight and released.
“The temperatures dropped from the -20s to the -30s pretty quickly,” he said. “At -35 hypothermia can set in pretty fast. When they were found they were cold, but not hypothermic.”
McGregor said the RCMP encourage people to be prepared for outings in the event of adverse weather conditions or getting stranded.
She said people heading out into the country should bring extra food, clothing, water and materials needed to build a fire.
