Technical Search and Rescue

Our members recently took part in a five-day Tracking Course, combining classroom instruction with hands-on field exercises.

The course covered tracking operations, identifying and interpreting sign, recording and communicating observations, moving effectively along a track, and working as part of a tracking team.

From observation exercises in the classroom to short and long track exercises in the field, members put their skills to work in practical search scenarios.

A great week of learning, teamwork and building operational skills.

***LOCATED***

Sept. 14, 2026



Grand Prairie RCMP is seeking assistance locating missing child



Grande Prairie, Alta. – Grande Prairie RCMP is seeking assistance in locating a missing 2-year-old child, Camden Whitehead. Camden was last seen on Sept. 14, 2026, in Grande Prairie. Camden is believed to be with his biological mother, Coralee Whitehead.



Camden and Coralee may be in the areas of Grande Prairie or Peace River, Alta., and police would like to speak with them.



Camden Whitehead is described as:



-2 years-old
-Slight build
-Medium length brown hair
-Brown eyes
-Last seen wearing pajama pants with baseball or animals on them, a black jacket, grey running shoes, and a baseball hat.



If you have any information about the whereabouts of Camden, please contact the Grande Prairie RCMP at 780-830-5701, or your local police service.

**An amber alert has not been issued as the criteria has not been met**

🛑 S.T.O.P.: Four Letters That Can Change the Outcome 🛑

You’re outside. Something has gone wrong.

Maybe you’ve lost the trail. The weather has moved in. Everything looks unfamiliar. You’re injured. It’s getting dark. Or you’ve called 911 and now Search and Rescue is on the way.

What you do next matters.

And sometimes, the best thing you can do is S.T.O.P. 🛑

The recent search for Stanislav Volo (Lions Bay Search and Rescue posted task details) in the Coast Mountains gave us an extraordinary real-world example of just how difficult it can be to locate one person in vast, complex terrain.

Searchers were on the ground. Helicopters were overhead. Drones and sophisticated search technology were being used. Areas were searched repeatedly.

And still, one person could be incredibly difficult to see.

There’s an important lesson here for every outdoor enthusiast:

Once you realize you’re lost or in trouble, continuing to move without a clear plan can make the situation worse — and can make you much harder to find.

That’s why BC AdventureSmart teaches S.T.O.P.

🛑 S — STOP

Stop moving.

That can be harder than it sounds.

When we’re scared, lost or uncertain, there can be a powerful urge to do something. Keep walking. Find the trail. Head downhill. Follow a sound. Push a little farther because surely the road, trail or parking lot is just ahead. There's insightful info re: “LOST” Physiology and Psychology linked here: https://www.adventuresmart.ca/the-three-ts/

But movement without good information can turn a manageable situation into a much bigger one.

You may move farther from your last known location, enter more difficult terrain, become injured or significantly expand the area Search and Rescue needs to consider.

Unless there is an immediate danger where you are, STOP AND STAY PUT.

For SAR, a stationary person is generally a much easier target to find than someone who continues moving.

The farther you move, the bigger the search area can become:

📍 1 km away → 3 km² search area
📍 3 km away → 28 km² search area
📍 10 km away → 314 km² search area

💭 T — THINK

Give yourself a moment to settle down and think clearly.

What do you know?

When were you last certain of your location?

What was the last trail marker, junction or recognizable feature you saw?

Does someone know your trip plan?

Do you have cell service or a satellite communication device?

If you need help and have cell service, call 911.

Think before making your next move. Fear and urgency can push us toward quick decisions that feel right in the moment but may take us farther into trouble.

👀 O — OBSERVE

Now look around.

What can you learn from your surroundings? (is it a safe spot?)

Check your map, GPS or offline navigation.

Look at the terrain and weather.

Take inventory of what you have: clothing, food, water, headlamp, whistle, emergency shelter, fire starter, communication device and remaining battery power.

Think about visibility too.

Could searchers see you from the ground or from the air?

Is there a nearby opening you can safely move to? Do you have something bright you can display? A headlamp? Whistle? Emergency signalling device?

Once SAR is looking for you, help us help you.

📝 P — PLAN

Only after you’ve stopped, thought and observed should you decide what comes next.

Your plan may simply be:

Stay where you are.

Find or create shelter. Stay warm and dry. Conserve your phone battery and other resources. Make yourself visible. Use your whistle. Follow instructions from 911 or Search and Rescue.

If you have communicated your location or SAR knows where to begin looking for you, moving again can make the search more difficult.

Your plan should be deliberate — not driven by panic.

WHY STAYING PUT MATTERS

Search and Rescue is essentially trying to solve a constantly changing puzzle.

Search Managers use your trip plan, last known location, cellphone information, witness reports, terrain, clues and many other pieces of information to determine where teams should look.

Now imagine the person they’re searching for continues travelling.

Every kilometre can create new possibilities.

Did they go up? Down? Follow a drainage? Take another trail? Cross a ridge? Hear something and move toward it?

The search area can grow very quickly.

Staying put gives searchers a stationary target.

And in dense BC terrain, that matters.

You might be surprisingly close to a search team and still be difficult to see or hear. Thick vegetation, gullies, cliffs, rushing water, darkness and weather can all make detection challenging.

That’s why staying put and signalling are such important parts of the equation.

MAKE YOURSELF FINDABLE

Once you’ve called for help, think about how SAR might detect you.

📣 Use a whistle — three deliberate blasts can signal distress.

🔦 Use your headlamp, especially at night.

🟠 Display bright, contrasting clothing or equipment (Robin Blue 🔵 is a helpful colour to spot, especially in the fall).

🏕️ Use your emergency shelter to stay protected and potentially increase your visibility.

📱 Conserve your phone (secondary means of comms) or communication-device (primary means of comms) battery and follow instructions from emergency responders.

And if you hear or see searchers or an aircraft, signal immediately.

You may be able to see them long before they can see you.

TEACH S.T.O.P. BEFORE SOMEONE NEEDS IT

S.T.O.P. isn’t just something for experienced hikers or backcountry travellers.

It’s something we want everyone to know.

Teach it to your kids. This is a part of our Hug a Tree & Survive Program - https://www.adventuresmart.ca/programs/hug-a-tree-and-survive/

Adult learning available 'Survive Outside Program' - https://www.adventuresmart.ca/programs/survive-outside/

Talk about it with your hiking partners.

Share it with the people you ski, snowshoe, bike, paddle, hunt and explore with.

Make it part of your family’s outdoor conversations.

Because an emergency isn’t the ideal time to learn what to do.

Stop. Think. Observe. Plan.

Four simple words can interrupt panic, help prevent a bad situation from becoming worse and help Search and Rescue find you faster.

And as we head toward winter, this becomes especially important. Snow, cold, shorter daylight hours and changing mountain conditions can quickly increase the consequences of a wrong turn or poor decision.

Before every adventure, remember the 3Ts:

🥾 Trip Planning
🎓 Training
🎒 Taking the Essentials

And when the plan falls apart:

🛑 S.T.O.P.

Heading outdoors? Start with BC AdventureSmart for reliable outdoor safety advice, education and resources.

British Columbia Search and Rescue Association

Join us Saturday, September 12th for First Responder Day!

Come check out our units, meet our members, and chat with the team about what we do in our community. We’d love to see you there!

Did you know? We deliver preventative programming for youth and adults across our region!

This summer, we partnered with Grande Prairie & Area Safe Communities to deliver AdventureSmart's Hug-a-Tree and Survive program, teaching kids critical wilderness safety skills. Together across 5-day camps, we reached 58 young participants:

• July 17 (Ages 5–6): 5 campers
• July 24 (Ages 7–8): 9 campers
• August 7 (Ages 5–6): 15 campers
• August 14 (Ages 7–8): 14 campers
• August 21 (Ages 9–11): 15 campers

We love helping our community stay safe outdoors! To learn more or to book a workshop for your group or classroom see the list of Adventure Smart programs here: https://tsrgp.org/adventure-smart/

Or contact us at [email protected]

TRAINING NOTICE: SEPT 18–20, 2026

Grande Prairie Technical Search & Rescue will be conducting a large-scale Mock Search Exercise at Nitehawk Year-Round Adventure Park over the September 18 weekend, with primary exercise activities occurring on Saturday, September 19.

What to expect:
• Teams from across Alberta on site
• Increased presence of search personnel and emergency vehicles
• Active use of ATVs/UTVs and drones in the area

PLEASE NOTE: This is a planned training exercise, NOT an active emergency.

Special thanks to Nitehawk Year-Round Adventure Park and Search and Rescue Association of Alberta for supporting our training!

***LOCATED***

Sept. 3, 2026



Clairmont RCMP requests public assistance in locating missing male



Clairmont, Alta. – Clairmont RCMP is requesting the public’s assistance in locating missing 40-year-old male, Devon Briggs. Devon was last seen in Grande Prairie, Alta., on Sept. 3, 2026. Clairmont RCMP is worried for his wellbeing and would like to speak with him.



Devon is described as:

-Pale complexion;
-6 feet, 2 inches tall;
-240 pounds;
-Balding;
-Blue eyes; and
-Least seen wearing a black sweater, jeans, white socks and black DC shoes.



If anyone has any information regarding the whereabouts of Devon, please contact the Clairmont RCMP Detachment at 780-513-5114. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www. P3Tips.com or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store. To report crime online, or for access to RCMP news and information, download the Alberta RCMP app through Apple or Google Play.

Last week, our team was south of town putting skills to the test with hands-on rope rescue training. A great opportunity to build confidence, sharpen technical skills, and work together in a challenging environment.

***LOCATED***

Aug. 25, 2026



Grande Prairie RCMP seeking public assistance in locating missing female



Grande Prairie, Alta. - Grande Prairie RCMP is asking for the public’s help in locating 31-year-old Autume Bateman. Autume was last seen on Aug. 14, 2026, in Grande Prairie. RCMP is worried for her wellbeing and would like to speak with her.



Autume is described as:

-Medium complexion;
-5 feet, 4 inches tall;
-120 pounds;
-Brown hair; and
-Brown eyes.



If you have any information on Autume’s whereabouts, please call the Grande Prairie RCMP detachment at 780-830-5701. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the "P3 Tips" app available through the Apple App or Google Play store. To report crime online, or for access to RCMP news and information, download the Alberta RCMP app through Apple or Google Play. To contact RCMP non-emergency line within any Alberta RCMP jurisdiction call 310-RCMP(7267).