‘He was near the end’: Alberta man saved from deep backcountry by helicopter rescue group

An elderly man who got stuck in the frigid backcountry in northern Alberta lived to see another day thanks to a helicopter rescue organization.

The man was trapping in the Richardson backcountry, north of Fort McMurray, on his ATV Wednesday morning when the quad’s drive belt broke.

He attempted to replace it, and the second belt broke as well.

That’s when the Local Hero Foundation, which covers areas across northeastern Alberta, had a message relayed to them from a friend of the man who was trapped.

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Paul Spring with the rescue organization says they used night-vision goggles on the helicopter to get out to him in the nick of time.

“He was in deep snow, was barely alive, out of energy and freezing to death,” Spring explained.

Spring says the man attempted to try and start a fire but the fire was so small it was barely seen by night vision.

“That is quite something because (night vision goggles) amplify light enormously, like, we can usually see the face of a cell phone from about 30 miles away at night.

“So yeah, he said he was near the end.”

According to Spring, the person they saved ended up being an 80-year-old man.

“Trappers are tough and they’ve lived in the backcountry their entire lives usually and they just don’t quit.”

Paramedics checked the man out after the rescue and, according to Spring, other than being cold and tired, the man drove off unharmed.

“He said ‘I’m good. Thanks for the rescue’.”