Algonquin Adventures / Backcountry helo rescue 17May2019

**Posted by Yc** 5/18/2019 2:12 pm

Saw this on the news. I don't know anything beyond what's reported.

https://www.quintenews.com/2019/05/18/207033/

**Posted by trippythings** 5/18/2019 2:39 pm

And on our next edition of "Where in Algonquin".....
Seeing the types of pictures people put in those threads, and the accurate guesses, this one should be easy

edit: is it Burnt Island?

Last edited by trippythings (5/18/2019 2:40 pm)

**Posted by keg** 5/18/2019 7:43 pm

News says Smoke (and for some reason calls it remote)

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2019/05/18/4-rescued-from-remote-part-of-algonquin-park/amp/

**Posted by trippythings** 5/18/2019 8:59 pm

keg wrote:
News says Smoke (and for some reason calls it remote)

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2019/05/18/4-rescued-from-remote-part-of-algonquin-park/amp/

"The chopper brought the people to Smoke Lake where they were treated for their injuries by local paramedics."

**Posted by ATVenture** 5/19/2019 7:40 am

trippythings wrote:
keg wrote:
News says Smoke (and for some reason calls it remote)

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2019/05/18/4-rescued-from-remote-part-of-algonquin-park/amp/
"The chopper brought the people to Smoke Lake where they were treated for their injuries by local paramedics."

Exactly. Smoke lake likely had the closest helipad to whatever lake they were rescued from.

**Posted by solos** 5/20/2019 3:29 pm

On the 17th a chopper flew directly overhead making a b-line from west to east. It could have been them if they were going from Smoke to CFB Petawawa.

**Posted by solos** 5/26/2019 9:25 pm

Does anybody know the details beyond the uninformititve reporting by all the regular news channels. Is anybody else curious what happened, where and how they ended up calling for help?

http://www.youtube.com/user/kayakcamper · **Posted by Uppa** 5/27/2019 7:39 am

There aren't many ways you end up with hypothermia. At a guess, they must have ended up in the water after dumping their canoes and someone had a SPOT/InReach with them. That Friday was reasonably windy by the afternoon, but nothing crazy. Making further assumptions, they must have at least been smart enough to be near shore and be wearing their PFDs, or we'd be hearing about body retrieval instead.

**Posted by swedish pimple** 5/27/2019 8:47 am

good news all around for everyone involved,, the rescue protocol worked in a timely manner,, the clock is ticking with hypothermia issues. hats off to the chopper crew.
      i have dumped twice in may while solo tripping,, i got my self out the first time and back to camp on red rock,, the second time two fellows from hamilton fished me outta pen lake,, we all had a good laugh over that one, but bloody cold,, both times i was close to shore,,
   bo had close call dumping in rock lake many years ago,, he took on water,,, you never know

**Posted by Markus** 5/27/2019 7:02 pm

I heard there was another guy that also got a helicopter ride out of Tim.... Didn't have a permit and went in before they issued permits....

**Posted by Roman_K2** 6/07/2019 12:32 am

What I'm missing is how they contacted authorities about needing an extraction? Sat phone, or...???

http://www.youtube.com/user/kayakcamper · **Posted by Uppa** 6/07/2019 8:59 am

Many campers take a SPOT, inReach or another similar device with them. My inReach mini is always in my PFD when I'm on the water.

**Posted by Gord Baker** 6/07/2019 9:31 am

A friend of mine who is friends with a higher-up park manager managed to get confirmation that the party did have a SPOT device (not one of our rentals) and that they were on Burnt Island. The chopper came in the dark but due to weather, couldn't extract them at that time, so returned in the morning. Must have been a cold night. Park staff don't know much more than that, turns out the Trenton SAR folks don't share any reports.

It is too bad that there is no information released about incidents like this. Privacy could be maintained and lessons could be learned with thorough reports and good analysis. As an example, the Mt. Washington Avalanche Center publishes detailed reports on rescues and incidents that the rangers attend. Here is the link.

**Posted by Roman_K2** 6/07/2019 1:54 pm

Thanks. I'll have to look up SPOT (news to me).

I came close to buying it once on Burnt Island, heading back from the far end after an attempt at the Otterslides (not recommended!) and Big Trout... it was a sudden and vicious gale: daylight one minute and black as night the next, with heaving whitecaps swamping the 16-foot Grumman. A "close call" story for another time.

Some "outdoors" information is spotty. I used to try and follow general aviation reports for example but I never knew that floatplane accidents were common! Look up the category on Youtube sometime, especially the montages.