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Yesterday, by partner, O., needed Search and Rescue (SAR) services to get home safely. He is safe and sound, albeit a bit bitten up and exhausted. We owe a big thank-you to the wonderful warden's office at Buntzen Lake and @CoquitlamSAR 
While O. can tell his own story, I just want to leave some of my own impressions somewhere.
O. has been cycling around our neighbourhood and north of us where there are several lakes, parks and trails. So far his trips have been fairly straight-forward. Yesterday, he had a day off work and wanted to complete a slightly lengthier route and followed a trail from an app.
The app he uses tracks his real-time location and can be shared with other people, including routes to follow, time, etc. He'd sent me the link to yesterday morning's ride so I could follow along if I wanted to.
About two hours in (10.30ish AM), the app was showing him along a particularly difficult trail known as Swan Falls. Here, he WhatsApp'd me saying there must have been a mistake on the route he was following as it didn't seem like an appropriate cycling path at all.
After a while, I check in to see how he's doing as his real-time location is paused. He says he's alright. A bit later tells me he's going to disable the app he was using as it using a lot of his data (and likely battery).
Just after 11.30, O. mentions it's too difficult to go downward so he'll continue up and loop around.
Note, I haven't done this trail before so I wasn't sure if there was a smaller loop he knew of that wasn't visible from Google Maps or unmarked on AllTrails.
Note, I haven't done this trail before so I wasn't sure if there was a smaller loop he knew of that wasn't visible from Google Maps or unmarked on AllTrails.
All the while, I'm at home working and I'm not trying to worry as O. and I are both experienced outdoor people. I figured he'd be tired given he was out longer than expected but I thought he knew his route.
Around 12.10, I'm starting to think more about O.'s message re: his data draining. So I requested that he send me a text (vs. WhatsApp) periodically to let me know he's okay, and to keep me posted in case his phone battery starts to get low.
From then until about 15.00, I recieved periodic check-in texts but don't know his live location anymore. His plan was to go up to the top and follow the route down. In the meantime, the day is getting quite hot and I'm getting concerned about potential heat stroke and water.
At 15.40, he checks in again but now with concern - exhausted, little water left. I ask him where he is, hoping he was by then making his way downwards. He was approx. 3 km North of Eagle Mountain. Not even at the top yet. Quite aways.
With that information I look up where he is and realize he is no where near the place he needs to be to come down. At this point I'm very worried as I start calculating "best case scenarios" for hiking conditions down the mountain (all multiple hours each).
I suggest for him to sit by any water source he finds to rest and wet himself as much as possible. I also suggest meeting him at the bottom of the nearest trail so he can at least recuperate with me and not cycle home. He replies to the first bit but not the second part.
Meanwhile, I call my parents to get their parental comfort and advice. Papa Hoce and I discuss possibilities- including finding the warden's info for Buntzen Lake area so we can get their support. Papa decides to pick me up, while I try to prepare snacks, and locate Oliver.
At just before 17.00, O. replies to my last message about meeting him saying he doesn't know where the road is. At this point, I already figured he was too far away from a road for Papa Hoce and I to get him and was in the process of contacting the warden's office for support.
At 17.10, O. sends me an emergency SOS text with location. I let him know I recieved it and will be going to Buntzen Lake to the warden's to get help.
17.15 - 17.30, we exchange some messages: O. requests help, gives me some locational details (although, with some typos), and mentions coming across a bear and moving towards a lake area.
At 17.28, I get a second SOS pin and a text saying he can't walk anymore.
17.33, he informs me his battery is at 3%. By now, Papa Hoce and I are just getting to the warden's office and I've made a call to 911 for a SAR team.
17.33, he informs me his battery is at 3%. By now, Papa Hoce and I are just getting to the warden's office and I've made a call to 911 for a SAR team.
I send a series of texts - in a VERY spotty reception area - to O. asking him to stay put and if possible, to engage his emergency mode on his phone.
At 17.52, I recieve one last SOS pin from O. And that was the last message from him for the night.
Shortly after, RCMP showed up, and the SAR team. Tracy, from the warden's office, helped facilitate all this and kindly walked me through making the SAR call.
Shortly after, RCMP showed up, and the SAR team. Tracy, from the warden's office, helped facilitate all this and kindly walked me through making the SAR call.
Over the next 8 hours, SAR used a helicopter to scan the area, and then set out two ground crews in the area based off of O.'s coordinates and text messages.
I was fucking terrified.
I was fucking terrified.
We were lucky that O. had given me coordinates before his phone died, and that he stuck to the trails as much as possible, as well as the weather being in our favour. That said, they mentioned that area is a difficult and risky area to be, and I was worried about dehydration.
Something that helped? When I gave SAR O.'s description, I mentioned he was wearing shoes for cycling. As night fell, they found his foot prints, as they are very distinctive and were able to follow him. O. had moved throughout the evening to find water and to avoid two bears.
Just before 23.00, they found him: exhausted, bug bitten but fine. It took approximately 3 hours to walk him down but they did it.
I'm so thankful for everything turning out well. I'm grateful to the incredible and compassionate SAR team in Coquitlam. I probably won't ever be able to express how worried I was but I am so happy to have him home safe and sound. 
I also want to say... shit happens. O. and I are the type of people that are generally very (if not, over) prepared when we go hiking, skiing, camping, etc. I grew up in/around forests & mountains, O. is very active & trained in lifesaving for water. We're adventurous but careful
But sometimes it only takes an accidental wrong turn or a missed marking to end up in an uneasy situation. Though O. didn't have the resources he needed for where he was, he was smart about his surroundings, stuck to trails, avoided bears, and got me those essential SOS pins.
Reminder to always let someone know if you're heading into the mountains alone, and esp new trails/terrain. 
Think ahead for possible mishaps (what you may need?), and have an active emergency contact.
Think ahead for possible mishaps (what you may need?), and have an active emergency contact.
And lastly, it doesn't hurt let people know you love them. Our connections are precious.
