British ColumbiaA group of young Cub Scouts came to the aid of three unprepared hikers in B.C.’s Golden Ears Provincial Park over the weekend amid torrential rain.Rescuers urge anyone heading into the backcountry to carry essentials, be prepared for wet weatherAkshay Kulkarni · CBC News · Posted: Nov 25, 2025 9:34 PM EST | Last Updated: 3 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.A group of Cub Scouts who were camping in Golden Ears Provincial Park lent their aid to three unprepared hikers over the weekend. (Pitt Meadows Cubs)A group of young Cub Scouts came to the aid of three unprepared hikers in B.C.’s Golden Ears Provincial Park over the weekend amid torrential rain.On Saturday, a group of 10 Cub Scouts were camping in the popular park in Metro Vancouver’s Tri-Cities area when eight of them decided to go on a hike around midday along the West Canyon Trail.When on the hike, scout leader Luke Lunnin said they encountered a washed-out river and bridge — and three teenagers on the other side shouting frantically.He said the elementary schoolers threw supplies to the teenage hikers, who were unprepared for the heavy rain and cold conditions.Rescuers said the Cub Scouts’ actions helped them as they mounted a rescue effort that day, and say the case is a reminder of the need to be prepared when hiking in the backcountry.Lunnin said he called 911 from his phone to help the hikers, who had fleece sweaters on and no rain gear, despite heavy rain.Luke Lunnin said his group of Cub Scouts got a tour of the search-and-rescue group camp, and learned the value of being prepared for the conditions. (Shawn Foss/CBC)”What we ended up doing is coming up with some rations from the kids to give to the guys and just tied it to a rock — some thermal blankets, hot paws, whatever we had with us, some trail mix,” he told CBC News.”They seemed pretty grateful because, yeah, as soon as they got that stuff, they threw it on and started munching away.”Rick Laing with Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue said it’s possible one of the hikers could have suffered from hypothermia if the hikers had to spend the night in the park. (Shawn Foss/CBC)Rick Laing with Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue said in an interview that the three teenagers were not prepared for the conditions, something all hikers should take into account before they set off for the day.”I believe one of them had pyjama bottoms on. They had very, very light packs with minimal food in it and pretty much no rain gear,” he said.”If they had not got a signal out for assistance they would have [had] a very cold, cold, uncomfortable night,” Laing added. “One of them was so cold it’s possible he could have succumbed to hypothermia by the next morning.”Kyle Lee, 17, said his group was unprepared for the conditions and he was grateful for the help from Cub Scouts. (CBC)Kyle Lee, 17, one of the three hikers who made the ill-fated trip, admitted his group was unprepared for the conditions.He told CBC News that seeing the group of young Cub Scouts gave him a lot of hope.”We’re just so happy that we found them. And then we’re just really grateful that they were there,” he said.WATCH | Hikers told not to rely on AI when planning trips:B.C.’s outdoor safety organizations warn hikers not to rely on AI for informationAn outdoor safety organization is raising awareness after hearing that many hikers are increasingly relying on AI to find information about trails. As Tanushi Bhatnagar explains, AI often provides incomplete details that compromise safety.Brent Boulet, another search manager with Ridge Meadows SAR, said the rescue was a reminder for hikers to prepare for the conditions — and carry 10 essential items that include a flashlight, extra food and water, a first-aid kit and more.”The weather conditions can change very rapidly,” he said. “And when they do, it’s always quite, quite drastic.”Lunnin said his group of Cub Scouts was heartened by the experience in assisting with the rescue. They later got a tour of the SAR camp and witnessed rescue co-ordination firsthand.”It’s not just about being prepared for yourself, but you might run across people along the trail, right? So having a little extra supplies couldn’t hurt — and in this case, [it] definitely didn’t,” the scout leader said.With files from Johna Baylon
Cub Scout group comes to the aid of 3 unprepared hikers in B.C.’s Golden Ears Provincial Park
