A lone camper singing a mournful song was wrongly identified as a person in peril last week, triggering a full-scale search and rescue mission in the Okanagan region of British Columbia.
A July 31 training session of Central Okanagan Search and Rescue (COSAR), a volunteer team serving the region, was interrupted when its members received reports of “someone yelling for help” near the Boulderfields, a well-known hiking and climbing site close to Kelowna, a social media post from the search and rescue unit said.
“Two concerned hikers called 911 after hearing repeated cries,” the post said, noting that the group responded with a “full contingent” of its members, its drone team, and two RCMP officers.
“Early responders even heard faint yelling—but couldn’t make out what was being said,” the post said. “Was it ‘help?’ Or worse, Nickelback?” the volunteer rescue team added, nodding to the long-running joke that pokes fun at the band’s music.
The team and two RCMP officers began to search the area on foot while a drone team conducted an aerial search.
“Then we found him: a lone camper, singing his heart out to the trees, blissfully unaware that the acoustics of the Boulderfields had turned his tent-side concert into an accidental distress signal,” the post from COSAR said.
COSAR search manager Duane Tresnich added that the camper wasn’t in trouble—“unless you count his singing.”
Although there was no one in need of rescue, the team thanked the individuals who placed the 911 call, recognizing their effort to help when they suspected someone was in danger.
They also reminded the community that search and rescue services are always provided at no cost and are available to everyone.
“Remember, our services are always free,” the post noted. “And the money you save could be spent on singing lessons.”
COSAR consists of approximately 50 volunteers who are on call around the clock 365 days a year. They average more than 100 calls per year, according to the group’s website. Members are trained in everything from first aid and ground searches to helicopter, water, and high angle rope rescues.
