A trio of hikers came to the aid of a senior who had succumbed to the heat on a North Okanagan trail, guiding rescue teams to the man's location Friday afternoon.
Carolyn Ferguson said she and her husband were hiking on Thomas Hayes Trail in Spallumcheen when around 2:30 p.m. — near peak temperature on a hot day — a young woman called them over to an unconscious elderly man who she'd found on the side of the trail.
Ferguson, a retired nurse, immediately recognized the signs of heat exhaustion. She found he was breathing and had a pulse, but "his face was very red, and warm" and he was unresponsive.
She called 911 and was put on hold. The three of them dragged the man into the shade and cooled him down with some water (they had one bottle's worth between the three of them, "a lesson learned in this heat").
Emergency dispatch soon answered and notified Vernon Search and Rescue (VSAR). Two firemen showed up first, bringing water. By 4 p.m. eight VSAR personnel arrived with a "rescue-boggan" and retrieved the man, bringing him to an ambulance waiting at the trailhead.
"They were kind of an amazing team, they worked really well, "Ferguson said. "This guy was the furthest he could possibly get from the parking lot."
She said it was a good thing the three of them were on the trail because no one else passed them over the course of about two and a half hours, meaning the senior could have otherwise been out in the heat much longer.
Ferguson said after talking to her, she learned the young woman who alerted them to the man was Aly Pierik, a first-year medical resident at UBCO.
She said the three of them were commended by VSAR at the scene for doing "everything right" in a situation that could have ended worse.
The incident is a good reminder to "prepare for the unexpected," she said, especially during the heat wave that's expected Sunday and through next week.
Environment Canada is warning of temperatures in the high 30s and possibly low 40s in the coming days.
"Drink plenty of water regularly, even before you feel thirsty to decrease your risk of dehydration," the weather agency said. "If you are in an overheated area, seek a cool place such as a tree-shaded area, splash pad, misting station, or air-conditioned spot like a public building."
Interior Health and the BCCDC have tips for staying cool as the mercury rises.
