A 39-year-old man endured nine harrowing days lost in the remote Canadian wilderness, surviving on pond water and natural resources before being rescued, officials confirmed.
Andrew Barber disappeared in British Columbia’s vast Cariboo region on July 31. The search effort, described by authorities as a daunting “needle in a haystack” mission, took place in a boggy, rugged terrain full of dense forests and marshlands. Williams Lake RCMP Staff Sgt. Brad McKinnon noted that the isolated nature of the area made locating Barber extremely challenging.
Despite the odds, Barber’s advanced wilderness knowledge proved crucial to his survival. He fashioned a shelter from sticks and moss and stayed hydrated by drinking pond water. His resourcefulness extended to scavenging edible plants to sustain himself.
Barber also took deliberate steps to signal for help. He carved the word “HELP” into a nearby rock and inscribed “SOS” in mud near his shelter to catch the attention of search teams.
On August 8, rescue teams spotted Barber from a Quesnel Search and Rescue helicopter. After locating his abandoned truck, they found him approximately three miles away, near his makeshift shelter. Though severely dehydrated and nursing a leg injury, Barber was safely airlifted to a hospital for treatment and has since been released.
“Today’s success shows why we train tirelessly and never give up,” said the Quesnel Search and Rescue team in a social media post.
The operation involved multiple agencies, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, PEP Air, and BC Emergency Health Services. According to Quesnel Search and Rescue president Bob Zimmerman, Barber’s survival was nothing short of miraculous. “He was struggling to stand and might not have survived another day without being found,” Zimmerman said. “Truly, he is a lucky man.”
