Central Okanagan Search and Rescue (COSAR) successfully located a missing motorist near Bear Creek Road on Tuesday morning, Sept. 21.

The team was called out just after 4 a.m. when the car went off Bear Creek Road and Mounties were unable to locate the driver. The driver failed to negotiate a turn and ended up 75 metres over an embankment. She used Siri to call 911 on her phone, but the virtual assistant called her emergency contact instead. The emergency contact then called the police.

Ten COSAR members, including a COSAR dog team, aided an RCMP dog team and helicopter in the search. The driver, who suffered minor injuries, was found on the opposite side of the road from where her car was located five hours later. Crews treated her at the scene before she was handed over to paramedics.

鈥淚t was great teamwork from all parties involved that brought this to a successful conclusion,鈥� said COSAR search manager Duane Tresnich.

This was COSAR鈥檚 81st call of 2021. The team鈥檚 record was 84 calls in 2020.

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paula.tran@kelownacapnews.com
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