Ontario Provincial Police used a helicopter to rescue a local snowmobiler stranded in a forested area of Severn Township amid frigid temperatures. The rescue came after the man's snowmobile broke down off a local trail late last week.
Gerry Gold, 59, says he was heading back home on a trail when he lost visibility of any snowmobile tracks that had been covered by a fresh dumping of snow. Eventually, Gold found some tracks and began to follow them.
“Everything was looking familiar,” he said. “I kept on following them and then I realized I was following beaver trappers. They took me way up north when I wanted to head straight east.”
When Gold tried to turn around, his snowmobile got stuck in deep snow. He was lost in the "middle of nowhere" in minus 12 temperatures that were set to dip below minus 20 later that night.
“I tried to walk around a bit,” he said. “I started thinking that maybe I should call OPP. When I called them, they told me to circle back and wait by the sled, or I could have got really lost.”
Gold says he never panicked. He did, however, lay behind his sled to try to shield himself from a brutal wind.
“I was dressed pretty well,” he said. “I could also hear a train less than a kilometre away, so if the OPP didn’t find me, I probably could have made my way to the tracks and then followed them all the way to the road.”
Instead, the OPP asked Gold to share his location using the Find My iPhone application. They then sent out a helicopter to track him down; officers made the rescue within an hour.
“I honestly didn’t know how things were going to end up for me,” he said. “I was very thankful to see the OPP.”
Collaboration by #OPP members, including our Communications Centre personnel and #OPPAviation team, ensured that this stranded snowmobiler was located and brought home safely. Great work. pic.twitter.com/CVSeyH0RaJ
— Thomas Carrique (@OPPCommissioner) February 8, 2022
Gold’s snowmobile was recovered by a nearby resident who knew the area well. It was a learning experience for Gold, who says he will always make sure he has a charged cell phone and will be dressed in full gear before going out on the sled.
Orillia OPP Const. Scott Williams says police don’t usually use Find My iPhone for rescue missions.
“We will use any resource we can to save or help someone,” he said.
Williams says he is thankful that Gold returned to his snowmobile instead of trying to navigate his way out of the isolated area.
“We would have been going in trying to search for him,” he said. “It definitely could have ended up being a whole different situation if he hadn’t had his phone.”
Williams encourages snowmobilers to make a plan before heading out on the trails.
“Know where you are going to go,” he urged. “It would be nice if you knew the area you are going in. Also, notify other family members and friends as to where you plan on going."
Williams also encourages snowmobilers to always carry a fully charged cell phone.
