To the relief of many, 16-year-old Esther Wang walked out of Golden Ears Provincial Park on her own Thursday night, after being missing for around 54 hours.
The Langley teenager had become separated from her air cadet group that was planning to hike and camp in the area. A total of 16 search and rescue teams from across the province were involved in the effort to look for her, along with helicopters, police dogs and drones.
Crews were “elated” when she appeared in the Gold Creek parking lot, after being on her own for more than two days in the wilderness.
Now, Wang is sharing her story of survival.
In a letter written by the teenager sent to CTV News, she details her incredible journey back to safety, including two nights in the forest and her strong will to continue hiking while injured.
On June 27, Wang and three others headed out to Golden Ears Provincial Park, planning to camp until June 28 and hike each day, she describes. The group consisted of two fellow air cadets and an adult supervisor.
“It is true that participating in the air cadet program may have saved my life,” Wang writes. “The information I have learned from aviation to survival skills played a huge role in my ability to sustain myself in the wilderness.”
She says that the group hiked the Golden Ears Trail, starting from their campsite at North Beach. “For anyone who is unsure about the Golden Ears trail, the terrain is very challenging as it is steep with lots of rocks and bushes,” Wang writes.
FULL STORY: https://bc.ctvnews.ca/b-c-teen-reveals-how-she-survived-over-50-hours-alone-in-the-wilderness-1.6465162
