"Elated": Teen hiker walks out of trail on her own after 54-hour search
A 16-year-old girl who got lost in Golden Ears Park in BC for more than two days is now home safe and recovering with her family.
Esther Wang walked out of the East Canyon trail on her own around 9:30 pm Thursday, about 54 hours after she went missing in the wooded area of Maple Ridge.
“Weāre elated at the outcome of the search,” Ryan Smith with Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue said in a news release. “Esther being returned to her family is what our objective was.”
“She is healthy, she is happy and she is with family,” added Supt. Wendy Mehat with Ridge Meadows RCMP.
Wang went missing on June 27 around 3 pm, when she became separated from her hiking group. More than 16 search teams came from across the region to help find her.
Police and Ridge Meadows SAR are reminding individuals who go into the backcountry to always give a trip plan to someone, including where they’re going and what time they’ll be back — so authorities can be notified if they’re not back in time.
They also recommend bringing the 10 essentials:
- Flashlight
- Extra food and water
- Extra clothing for nightfall
- Navigation tools
- Fire starter
- First Aid kit
- Emergency shelter
- Sun protection
- Pocket knife
- Signalling device