“Plan your trips,” NT RCMP warn following search and rescue

As northerners prepare to enjoy the long weekend, RCMP are reminding everyone to plan their trips carefully – after launching a search and rescue operation on Great Slave Lake earlier this week.

According to RCMP, Thursday evening around 6:00pm, three people traveling from N’dilo to Łutsël K’é by boat were reported overdue when they didn’t arrive at their destination as planned.

Yellowknife and Łutsël K’é RCMP coordinated a search and rescue operation, with help from the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association and the community of Łutsël K’é.

The group was eventually located on Burnt Island, where they had stopped, during an aerial search. All three travellers were safe and eventually arrived at their destination.

To prevent similar situations, police issued a number of suggestions in a news release Friday.

They recommend:

• Leaving a detailed plan of your upcoming trip with a friend or family member, including departure and arrival times and destination
• Bringing a radio or working cellphone, as well as extra food, water, fuel, matches, clothing, and personal flotation devices such as lifejackets if travelling by water
• Making sure your boat is in working condition and to practice emergency drills

The release also reminded that drinking or using drugs while driving a boat is illegal and having an emergency plan in place is always a good idea.

Those who are boating and in need of help are asked to call 9-1-1 or Yellowknife RCMP at 669-1111 with as much information as possible so search and rescues can be prepared quickly.