Ottawa firefighters use cellphone signals to find lost hikers

A map showing where two 911 callers were located after they called to say they were lost in the South March Highlands Conservation Forest. The map was sent to firefighters who used it to locate the hikers and bring them to safety. (Ottawa Fire Services/supplied)

Ottawa firefighters used cellphone signals to help rescue two people who got lost in the South March Highlands Conservation Forest Saturday as it got dark.

The hikers called 911 around 5:18 p.m. and said they had wandered onto some ice and could hear it cracking. The area was unfamiliar to them and they said they didn’t want to cross the ice a second time. It was around -12 C with a wind chill of -19 at the time and the sun had set about a half hour earlier.

The dispatcher told the hikers to stay where they were so that first responders could use their cellphone signal to find them. A map showing the caller’s location was sent to firefighters’ phones.

Cellphone signals are a common tool dispatchers use to help locate 911 callers in a variety of situations.

A map shared by Ottawa Fire Services showed the hikers were in a section of the forest about a kilometre away from Old Second Line Road and Klondike Road.

Using the map, firefighters made their way toward the two hikers and found them just before 6 p.m. They were unharmed and brought out of the forest safely.

Tips for hiking in winter:

• Tell someone where you are going and what time you expect to be back
• Always plan your route ahead of time and print a map as back up. Cell phone batteries die much quicker in cold weather.
• Dress according to the weather and always bring water and food.
• Always hike with another person.

At approx 17:18 last night, we received a 911 call from two individuals who got lost while walking in the South March Highlands Conservation Forest near Klondike Rd & Old Second Line Rd. The individuals made their way onto some ice & could hear it cracking. #OttNews 1/3 pic.twitter.com/LS1IX2C20i

— Ottawa Fire Services (@OttFire) January 15, 2023