Teen Rescued After Going Missing in Woods Near Sydney

An 18-year-old who was reported missing just north of Sydney, N.S., over the weekend has been rescued and is currently recovering in hospital from frostbite and hypothermia.

The Cape Breton Regional Police received a call from a concerned mother at around 7:40 p.m. on Saturday reporting that her son was missing in the woods in South Bar. Police, along with local fire crews, initiated a search operation that included the use of a drone and eventually a helicopter from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax.

According to Insp. Ken O’Neill, temperatures at the time of the rescue were just below freezing. The teen was located by the drone in rough terrain in a snow-covered swamp where he had fallen into water. O’Neill noted that the teenager was ill-prepared for the harsh conditions.

Three police officers were the first to reach the teen based on information from the drone. They found him wet, suffering from frostbite on his feet, and experiencing hypothermia. The emergency personnel, including EHS paramedics, had to navigate through the swamp to reach the teenager.

Due to the significant frostbite he had sustained, the rescuers started a fire in the wooded area while waiting for the helicopter from Halifax to airlift him from the rugged terrain. Once the helicopter arrived, medical technicians were lowered to stabilize the teenager before he was lifted into the aircraft and flown to Cape Breton Regional Hospital in Sydney.

O’Neill stated that the teen is expected to fully recover from the ordeal. “It was a serious situation that ended with a positive outcome,” he remarked.