Two hikers who got lost in Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands provincial park on Thursday (May 21) have been found and are safe with no injuries.
One of the hikers had dialed 9-1-1 after the couple got lost in the 33,505-hectare park, which is located in Kawartha Lakes southwest of Minden.
Kawartha Lakes OPP called in their emergency response team to conduct a search by ATV and helicopter.
The helicopter located the hikers, who were extracted and transported to a safe location in the Sebright area.
Both hikers were uninjured and in good health, according to an OPP media release.
“The OPP would like to remind hikers to ensure that they tell someone where they are going, where they are starting from, and how long they intend to be gone,” the OPP states in the media release.
Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands is a non-operating park with no maintained public facilities or services. On its website, Ontario Parks warns visitors that navigating in the park is difficult and cell service is unreliable.
“Be prepared to use appropriate route finding and safety practices as interior travel beyond access points requires complex navigating in a remote semi-wilderness environment,” reads the website. “Cellular service cannot be relied upon as a means of communication or navigation within these wildlands.”
The Ontario government recently reopened provincial parks for free day use during the COVID-19 pandemic.
