Saskatchewan RCMP recruited local pilot to help rescue freezing man near Fox Valley

With the help of a volunteer pilot, the Saskatchewan RCMP leapt into action last month to rescue a man after his vehicle became partially submerged in water and snow in a remote southwest part of the province.

The Mounties said it was a very cold evening when officers got the call from an isolated area near Fox Valley. The officers learned the nature of the emergency, police said, but didn’t get many details before the call was dropped.

Read more:

• Mekayla Bali’s family plead for information 10 years after her disappearance
• Former Sask. Mountie convicted of voyeurism, having child sex abuse material
• James Smith Cree Nation inks partnership agreement with Sask. Marshals Service

“Officers were faced with the challenge of covering a vast geographic area with limited information,” the RCMP explained in a statement.

Mounties from Leader responded immediately, police said, using a drone to search the area from above. Officers, police dogs and a conservation officer worked through the night in their efforts to locate the man.

“The cold temperatures continued until the following morning, bringing fresh snow and a −29°C windchill. Time was of the essence to find the man and bring him to safety,” RCMP said.

That’s when Sgt. Don Kyllo, commander of the Leader RCMP detachment, decided to inquire about an additional resource. He’d previously met a local pilot who had offered his plane to RCMP if it was ever needed to expand a search area, police said.

“I met this pilot when I first arrived as the Detachment Commander in Leader and right away he told me that if we ever needed help with his plane, he’d be there,” Kyllo said in a statement.

The RCMP said Kyllo called the owner of the plane and asked if his offer still stood.

Two types of drones are used by Mounties in Saskatchewan. (Saskatchewan RCMP/Submitted)

“I’ve been waiting 15 years for this call,” the pilot said, agreeing “without hesitation,” according to the RCMP.

The RCMP said the pilot, who was not identified by the RCMP, located the stranded vehicle “shortly after taking off,” and relayed its location to the officers on the ground. The pilot circled in the air until police arrived and found the man sitting near his vehicle.

With no physical injuries reported, police said the man was brought back to the detachment by officers to warm up with food and tea.

“Situations like this remind us how important it is to have a positive connection with the people we serve and the communities we police. Last month, that partnership helped save a life,” Kyllo said in the news release.

The pilot of the aircraft said strong relationships with officers is a key to community safety in the release.

“I’ve always believed in maintaining a strong relationship with our local RCMP officers. Whenever I can support them, I will,” the pilot, who was not named by the RCMP, said in a statement.

“Cooperation and teamwork are essential in keeping our community safe and we’re fortunate to have some truly outstanding RCMP officers serving in Leader.”