Hundreds of local and area residents volunteered in the search for a Fort Macleod couple who were reported missing and later found at a cabin in the remote area of Bull River near Fernie last Tuesday, April 17th.
Jacob and Anja Oosterwijk were reported missing on Saturday, April 14th after they departed on a day trip from Fort Macleod to Fernie and were not heard from by 6 p.m., when they were expected to return home.
RCMP, Search and Rescue crews and countless volunteers from Fort Macleod, Pincher Creek, Crowsnest Pass, Sparwood and Fernie searched diligently over a vast area spanning from as far north as Turner Valley to the U.S. border in the south, out to the Fernie area in the west for a period of three days before Elk Valley RCMP were notified of a radio transmission which had been received from a cabin in the remote area of the Bull River.
After spending the day in Fernie, the Oosterwijks had decided to travel some back roads before heading home.
Their Honda CRV became stuck in the snow and they were forced to trudge 30 kilometres along the logging road through knee-deep snow for 10 hours until they found the cabin at Texas Ranch in Sulphur Creek, smashed the window and broke in.
The couple spent a day and a half making attempts to be located, including spelling out SOS with scarves in the snow, before locating a radio which they used to call for help over a logging bandwidth.