Michael King and his son Robert had planned a leisurely overnight hiking trip in Cape Scott Provincial Park over the Victoria Day long weekend. They loaded up their backpacks with sleeping bags, dehydrated food, water purifiers and everything else well-equipped hikers would need for an overnight trek.
When it started to rain, the father-son duo opted for a much shorter trip up Mount St. Patrick, even though they were unfamiliar with the route and didn't fully understand the terrain. Leaving their overnight gear in the car, the Salt Spring Island residents set off at 1 p.m., thinking they would be back before nightfall.
"By sunset, we found ourselves on the wrong side of Mount St. Patrick with no safe way out," King told the Mirror. "We had tried to make our way back and got to a point where it became dangerous."
With a rapidly rising tide, the hikers became stranded on a beach in Sea Otter Cove. King said they were fortunate his iPhone had an SOS feature, otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to contact anyone.
Linking up with a satellite, King and his son managed to contact the RCMP, which activated Campbell River Search and Rescue (CRSAR). The hikers had a tarp for shelter and water to last through the night, so they were told to stay put until a search team could arrive in the morning.
"You have to recall that the people who are coming to look for you, they're putting themselves in danger too, especially if they are doing it at night," King said. "The fact that we were comfortable staying overnight meant that they could wait until daylight, which made it much safer for them."
At dawn on May 18, CRSAR deployed a helicopter team and a backup ground crew from Campbell River heading towards the San Josef Bay area in a truck. The weather and visibility were ideal, and the hikers had a bright blue tarp, making them easy to spot.
"Thanks to the iPhone SOS feature, a coordinated emergency response, and the selfless efforts of SAR volunteers, we were found and brought to safety," said King. "We were lucky."
So what went wrong for King and his son?
The hikers changed their plans at the last minute, so they didn't carry an accurate map and failed to research the trail thoroughly, which meant they were poorly prepared, King said. They also didn't turn back when it became obvious things were going sideways and didn鈥檛 leave a detailed trip plan with a friend or on the dashboard of their vehicle.
"Spending a cold, wet night under a tarp at 6掳C gave us a tiny glimpse into the hardship many unhoused people endure," King wrote in a post he shared to in May in the hopes others would avoid their mistakes. "We are humbled by the experience 鈥� and immensely thankful to those who dedicate themselves to helping others at risk."
A simple accident can quickly become dangerous in the outdoors, King said. The "big reminder is to be prepared for the worst no matter if you are going for an hour or overnight."
According to the British Columbia Search and Rescue Association, between 2022 and 2024, 95 per cent of search and rescue cases in the province involved people enjoying the outdoors close to home 鈥� including residents and nearby visitors.
The association advises that hikers should be well-prepared 鈥� even for short outings. They suggest carrying a light source, fire-making kit, emergency shelter, pocketknife or utility tool, food and water and more. For more information on how to hike safely, check out the website at https://bcsara.com/.
