August 23

15C Cloudy
Rained almost all day yesterday, but i think it will clear today.

I have only the epilogue left to do in thr story of thee Pearce family, but a bowling tournament tomorrow and the next day will delay that probably.

Here's one I wrote about a year ago then forgot about it.

THE CALL

  The phone call came just a few minutes before five pm.  It was from the RCMP office in Prince George thirty miles away.  They had a report of a missing hunter about another thirty miles up the highway along the Crooked River, ‘could we help?’.

  The dispatcher passed the call to my extension for a reply.  I identified myself to the officer and asked him what help was needed.  He replied that they had just received the report and as it was so late the best they could do was to have the missing man’s friends patrol the logging road where the hunter was last seen and the police would have a crew for a search party ready by early morning.  ‘Could we supply radios, maps and someone to organize and supervise the search party?’ I asked him to hold the line for a moment and quickly spoke to the Ranger, my boss.  He agreed that we could supply radios and a few maps and suggested that I volunteer myself to lead the search.  I spoke again to the officer, told him what Tom had said and asked if there would be an RCMP member present. He replied, “Yes Constable Sweeny will be there by five am but he is new to the detachment and has no bush experience, he will follow your lead”.

  I had already realized that someone who didn’t know the area would have trouble finding the turnoff from the highway in the dark so suggested that I would be in the office at four and the Constable could pick me up. This was readily agreed to, we talked for a few minutes more; apparently a logging crew that worked in the area had already been lined up as a search party.  This was good news, at least we would have people with some bush sense to work with.

  I checked my bush vest to make sure that it was ready to go, then got out eight portable radios and installed new batteries, photocopied twenty copies of a map of the general area where the hunter disappeared, got out a number 2 first aid kit, blankets and a folding stretcher; then went home for supper and to prepare for an early start.

  It was mid October, being in a snowbelt there was already a skiff of snow on the ground, this could work to our advantage.  The temperature was just below freezing at night and just above during the daytime, many of the leaves were already off the deciduous trees; all in all not bad conditions.