"Cold and freezing": BC teen who survived two nights in the wilderness speaks out

The teenager who sparked a massive search last week after she went missing in the BC wilderness for more than 54 hours is sharing her story of survival.

Esther Wang, 16, says she is still processing the physical and mental trauma from the ordeal — but is recovering after she emerged from the woods last Thursday night to the shock and happiness of her family and the dozens of search and rescue teams who were working against the clock to find her alive.

Two days earlier, Wang says she was terrified when she realized her hiking group had disappeared while they were on the Golden Ears trail in the provincial park in Maple Ridge. She was with three other people, one of them an adult, when she found herself alone and lost on the 23 km route.

Golden Ears Provincial Park (Shutterstock)

Wang wrote about her experience online, saying before that moment she was only about two metres away from the group, but as they were leaving the viewpoint she was focusing on the steep and challenging terrain.

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“At one point, the group made a turn somewhere along the trail, but I did not notice because I was solely concentrating on following the trail right in front of me. Because of this, I turned the wrong way and ended up on the wrong path. Once I realized that the rest of my group was no longer in front of me, I tried to turn around, but I tripped and fell down until I reached a flatter part of the mountain,” Wang posted on westca.com, which Daily Hive has translated into English.

The Langley volleyball player was able to get up and walk again but she says by that time it was almost dark and her instincts were to ensure she had water. Wang credits her experience as a cadet where she gained the knowledge to know what to do if things go wrong.

“Thankfully, I was able to refill my water bottles and I had packed food for the hike. I tried to get some sleep on the rocks nearby, but I was cold and freezing,” she said.

Wang says she was scared and lonely but did not give up. On several occasions she could hear whistles or see flashlights, but despite shining her light back at them or calling out, she was not found.

Joanna Szypulska/Shutterstock

“I tried making noise, singing and even shaking nearby trees to grab their attention, but everything I tried failed. It took some time, but I was able to hike to the top of the mountain where I would rest on the second night,” she said.

That day she had lost her phone, which was low on battery anyways, and to make matters worse, she had hit her head. She slept for the second night outdoors, exhausted from trying to find her way in the thickly wooded area and despite her efforts — none of those searching heard her cries for help.

On June 29, she had a life-changing idea. Wang says she remembered taking pictures on her digital camera.

“After glancing at the photos, I recognized a snowy peak that I passed when hiking up the mountain. Finally, I had some concrete direction I needed to go and I started to look for this landmark. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted my landmark and started to retrace my steps down the mountain,” she said.

That trek started at 5 am and many hours later she reached a river, which she followed until she noticed a sign that read “Hiker’s Beach.”

A map of the Golden Ears trail in Maple Ridge shows where Wang got lost. (bcparks.com)

“I knew I needed to get to the Gold Creek Parking Lot which was in the opposite direction according to the sign,” she said.

The athletic teen, who had attended field training exercises with the cadets says it was in that moment she noticed the pain and soreness after more than 50 hours.

“I began to feel dizzy and I started to imagine things in front of me when there clearly wasn’t anyone around me. I continued to encourage myself to keep moving forward and to not give up yet,” she said.

Search and rescue teams searched for Wang for nearly three days. (Coquitlam Search and Rescue)

The teen emerged from the woods 9:15 pm, after the search that night had been called off, but many people remained in the Gold Creek parking lot.

“I could see some people in the distance. I waved and immediately, I recognized my parents and I tried to run towards them. Although I was able to ‘walk out’ of the mountain by myself, I could not have done it without the search and rescue teams, police, volunteers, and park rangers. They led the way and I was able to follow,” she said.

Search and rescue teams searched for Wang for nearly three days. (Coquitlam Search and Rescue)

“Coquitlam SAR assisted @RidgeMeadowsSAR along with many other SAR groups in the lower mainland,” Coquitlam Search and Rescue wrote on Twitter last Friday.

Wang says she was bruised and bleeding but was able to go home that night and sleep in her own bed.

“As for my current state, I can barely stand on my own and walk properly. My body and mind are still recovering and processing what happened and the trauma I have experienced. I am thankful for the privacy everyone has given me during this difficult time,” she said.

“I am overwhelmed by all the support and care everyone has shown me and I am forever grateful for everyone involved with the search effort. I believe God led me home to my safety. The sheer willpower to keep moving forward is the reason I am still alive,” she said.

With files from Amir Ali and Megan Devlin