Missing Teen Snowmobiler Builds Snow Cave To Survive Until Rescuers Found Him

• A 17-year-old snowmobiler built a snow cave after he got separated from his group.
• According to the rescuers, this helped him survive and made it easier for them to find him.
• The teen was in his snowy shelter “with food and water” when the rescue team arrived.

A 17-year-old Canadian snowmobiler who has gone missing has eventually been found by rescuers. Apparently, the youngster built a snow cave which helped him survive..

According to the South Cariboo Search and Rescue, the teen – whose identity was left undisclosed – used the snow cave as a shelter after he got separated from his group last Saturday, January 16. His family members and friends eventually alerted the 100 Mile House Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) when he did not return to the parking lot.

The teen “did everything right after things went wrong.”

South Cariboo SAR later shared on Facebook:

“We would like to commend the 17 year old missing snowmobiler from the search last night. This young man did everything right after things went wrong. He got separated from his group and after multiple failed attempts to get back out of the area, the way he got into it and not knowing the terrain and area, he parked his sled in a wide-open area, walked over to a nearby treed area and built himself an incredible snow cave to spend the night.”

“When our team members came across him, he was in the shelter with food and water,” continued SAR. “This young man made our task a little less difficult by staying in place and having some backcountry winter survival knowledge.”

The SAR team likewise praised the other backcountry users who immediately contacted them “after realizing their limits and exhausting their area knowledge.”

“By doing this, it kept this task as a search for one person and not multiple,” wrote SAR. “The actions of everyone involved was spot on for leading to a successful outcome.”