He didn’t give in to the pressure.
A Canadian teenager who got lost during the snowmobile managed to survive in an incredible way, building a snow cave and staying in it until he was discovered.
“This young man did everything right after things went wrong,” wrote South Cariboo Search and Rescue, the non-profit service that ended up finding the anonymous 17-year-old boy on Facebook. The accompanying photos show the impressive-looking snow pit that the makeshift survivor built and crouched to the rescue.
The Canadian Royal Mounted Police in the area realized something was wrong when they were notified on Saturday night of a delayed snowmobiler, according to the department. The boy would not have returned to the parking lot with the other party members.
At that point, some snowmobilers started looking for the missing teenager while others alerted SCSAR. Several hours later, the mounted police received a message from SCSAR that they had “located the young man in good condition and were transporting him off the mountain,” according to police testimony.
SCSAR wrote on Facebook that the teenager had “separated from his group” and could not find his way out of the hinterland “the way he entered”.
Despite not being familiar with the “terrain and area”, the ingenious man outdoors “parked his sled in an open area, walked to a nearby wooded area and built an incredible snow cave to spend the night,” they wrote. Rescuers found him inside the icy trench with food and water.
SCSAR concluded: “This young man made our task a little less difficult by staying in place and having some knowledge of winter survival in the countryside.”
Needless to say, the Facebook peanut gallery was impressed by the snowmobiler’s ingenuity.
“Great reflection of the young man and great teaching from those who taught him survival skills”, cajoled a new fan of aspiring Bear Grylls.
Another wrote: “Whoever taught this young man deserves a medal! Always be prepared for the worst. “