<p>A hiker who was reported missing in the backcountry of Canada’s northeast British Columbia was found alive after more than five weeks. According to CBC News, Sam Benastick, 20, went on a 10-day fishing and hiking trip in Redfern-Keily Park in the Northern Rocky Mountains and was supposed to return on October 17. A missing report was filed on October 19 when he failed to return.</p>

<p>Benastick was found by two men on a service road, who were on their way to the Redfern Lake trail for work on Tuesday, November 26. The men recognised him as the missing hiker after they saw him walking out of the wilderness with the support of two walking sticks and a cut-up sleeping bag wrapped around his legs.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tourist-yacht-capsizes-in-egypts-red-sea-17-goes-missing-779216">Tourist yacht capsizes in Egypt's Red Sea, 17 still missing</a></strong></p>

<p>The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had anticipated a different outcome given the long duration of his whereabouts not known and the temperature that dropped to -20 C in the region, along with snowfall.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the RCMP, multiple search and rescue teams, Canadian Rangers, and locals had been looking for him. However, the search for the hiker was called off in late October.</p>

<p>"We're very grateful. The family is thrilled," Royal Canadian Mounted Police Cpl Madonna Saunderson told the BBC. He was simply lost, she added.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wales-man-fights-to-recover-ps569-million-worth-of-bitcoin-thrown-away-by-ex-girlfriend-779724">Wales man fights to recover $ 710 million worth of bitcoin thrown in garbage dump by ex-girlfriend</a></strong></p>

<h2><strong>Camping in wilderness</strong></h2>

<p>Benastick told the police that he stayed in his car initially. After a couple of days, he walked to a creek near a mountain and camped there for about 10-15 days. He then walked down to the valley, where he built a shelter in the dried-out creek.&nbsp;</p>

<p>From there, Benastick found the way to the trail, where he was spotted by two workers. He was taken to the hospital and attended by police when his identity was confirmed, RCMP said.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;USA News: Donald Trump Threatens China, Mexico And Canada With New Tariffs</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/usa-news-donald-trump-threatens-china-mexico-and-canada-with-new-tariffs-779838/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>During the search operation for the avid hiker, his parents and brother stayed at the Buffalo Inn in Pink Mountain, British Columbia for over 20 days, CNN reported. Mike Reid the general manager of the inn said he provided some free meals to the family during their stay.</p>

<p>“I’ve got three kids and five grandkids. So I know what they were going through,” Reid told CNN, as he described that his family told him that he was found in a weak state and nearly collapsed when he was found. “He was in pretty bad shape but he’s alive.”</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


A hiker who was reported missing in the backcountry of Canada’s northeast British Columbia was found alive after more than five weeks. According to CBC News, Sam Benastick, 20, went on a 10-day fishing and hiking trip in Redfern-Keily Park in the Northern Rocky Mountains and was supposed to return on October 17.

A hiker who was reported missing in the backcountry of Canada’s northeast British Columbia was found alive after more than five weeks. According to CBC News, Sam Benastick, 20, went on a 10-day fishing and hiking trip in Redfern-Keily Park in the Northern Rocky Mountains and was supposed to return on October 17. A missing report was filed on October 19 when he failed to return. Benastick was found by two men on a service road, who were on their way to the Redfern Lake trail for work on Tuesday, November 26. The men recognised him as the missing hiker after they saw him walking out of the wilderness with the support of two walking sticks and a cut-up sleeping bag wrapped around his legs. Also read | Tourist yacht capsizes in Egypt's Red Sea, 17 still missing The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had anticipated a different outcome given the long duration of his whereabouts not known and the temperature that dropped to -20 C in the region, along with snowfall. According to the RCMP, multiple search and rescue teams, Canadian Rangers, and locals had been looking for him. However, the search for the hiker was called off in late October. "We're very grateful. The family is thrilled," Royal Canadian Mounted Police Cpl Madonna Saunderson told the BBC. He was simply lost, she added. Also read | Wales man fights to recover $ 710 million worth of bitcoin thrown in garbage dump by ex-girlfriend Camping in wilderness Benastick told the police that he stayed in his car initially. After a couple of days, he walked to a creek near a mountain and camped there for about 10-15 days. He then walked down to the valley, where he built a shelter in the dried-out creek. From there, Benastick found the way to the trail, where he was spotted by two workers. He was taken to the hospital and attended by police when his identity was confirmed, RCMP said. Watch | USA News: Donald Trump Threatens China, Mexico And Canada With New Tariffs × During the search operation for the avid hiker, his parents and brother stayed at the Buffalo Inn in Pink Mountain, British Columbia for over 20 days, CNN reported. Mike Reid the general manager of the inn said he provided some free meals to the family during their stay. “I’ve got three kids and five grandkids. So I know what they were going through,” Reid told CNN, as he described that his family told him that he was found in a weak state and nearly collapsed when he was found. “He was in pretty bad shape but he’s alive.” (With inputs from agencies)

Missing hiker found alive after more than five weeks in remote British Columbia

<p lang="en-US">A Chinese exchange student fell victim to a “cyber kidnapping” scam and $80,000 was extorted from his parents after which he was found alive but “cold and scared” in a tent located in the wilderness of Utah, said the police.<br />
<br />
17-year-old Kai Zhuang was reported missing on Thursday (Dec 28) after his parents – who are living in China – informed the officials at his host high school in Riverdale, Utah that they suspected their child had been kidnapped and a ransom demand had been made to them.<br />
<br />
The case continued on the typical pattern for cyber kidnapping in which the victim is asked by the “kidnappers” to isolate themselves and provide pictures of them as if being held captive. The photos then taken are sent to the victim’s family to extort a payment. Generally, the victims comply fearing that going against the kidnappers will harm their family members.</p>

<p lang="en-US"><strong>Also read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-removes-nine-army-officials-from-parliament-in-a-reshuffle-675032">China expels nine army officials from parliament in a sweeping reshuffle</a></p>

<p lang="en-US">After going through bank records, purchases and phone ping records in a search operation, the police were convinced that the boy was isolated in a tent some 40km (25 miles) north in a large area, close to Brigham City.<br />
<br />
“Due to the cold weather in Utah this time of year, we became additionally concerned for the victim’s safety in that he may freeze to death overnight,” said the Riverdale Police Department, in a press release after he was discovered Sunday (Dec 31).</p>

<h2 lang="en-US"><strong>Kai found isolated in a tent</strong></h2>

<p lang="en-US">A sergeant – who was hiking on a mountainside – found Kai’s tent which did not have any heat source but only “a heat blanket, a sleeping bag, limited food and water and several phones that were presumed to be used to carry out the cyber kidnapping,” the department said.<br />
<br />
The detective said that he “contacted the victim inside the tent and found he was alive but very cold and scared”.</p>

<p lang="en-US"><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Africa, Brazil to halt 'donkey skin trade' in major blow to supplies for Chinese medicine</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/africa-brazil-to-halt-donkey-skin-trade-in-major-blow-to-supplies-for-chinese-medicine-675784/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p lang="en-US">After he was rescued, Kai “requested a warm cheeseburger” and spoke to his family, which had made the payment of US$80,000 to bank accounts in China when they were threatened, according to Riverdale police.<br />
<br />
The host family of Kai in Riverdale was initially unaware that the boy was missing and had last seen him in the kitchen in the early morning of the same day when he disappeared. According to the press release, Riverdale police worked along with the FBI, Chinese officials and the US embassy in China to find the missing teenager.<br />
<br />
Riverdale police said that the cyber kidnappers have been recently targeting foreign exchange students recently, and especially, Chinese foreign exchange students.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


A Chinese exchange student fell victim to a “cyber kidnapping” scam and $80,000 was extorted from his parents after which he was found alive but “cold and scared” in a tent located in the wilderness of Utah, said the police.

A Chinese exchange student fell victim to a “cyber kidnapping” scam and $80,000 was extorted from his parents after which he was found alive but “cold and scared” in a tent located in the wilderness of Utah, said the police. 17-year-old Kai Zhuang was reported missing on Thursday (Dec 28) after his parents – who are living in China – informed the officials at his host high school in Riverdale, Utah that they suspected their child had been kidnapped and a ransom demand had been made to them. The case continued on the typical pattern for cyber kidnapping in which the victim is asked by the “kidnappers” to isolate themselves and provide pictures of them as if being held captive. The photos then taken are sent to the victim’s family to extort a payment. Generally, the victims comply fearing that going against the kidnappers will harm their family members. Also read: China expels nine army officials from parliament in a sweeping reshuffle After going through bank records, purchases and phone ping records in a search operation, the police were convinced that the boy was isolated in a tent some 40km (25 miles) north in a large area, close to Brigham City. “Due to the cold weather in Utah this time of year, we became additionally concerned for the victim’s safety in that he may freeze to death overnight,” said the Riverdale Police Department, in a press release after he was discovered Sunday (Dec 31). Kai found isolated in a tent A sergeant – who was hiking on a mountainside – found Kai’s tent which did not have any heat source but only “a heat blanket, a sleeping bag, limited food and water and several phones that were presumed to be used to carry out the cyber kidnapping,” the department said. The detective said that he “contacted the victim inside the tent and found he was alive but very cold and scared”. Watch: Africa, Brazil to halt 'donkey skin trade' in major blow to supplies for Chinese medicine After he was rescued, Kai “requested a warm cheeseburger” and spoke to his family, which had made the payment of US$80,000 to bank accounts in China when they were threatened, according to Riverdale police. The host family of Kai in Riverdale was initially unaware that the boy was missing and had last seen him in the kitchen in the early morning of the same day when he disappeared. According to the press release, Riverdale police worked along with the FBI, Chinese officials and the US embassy in China to find the missing teenager. Riverdale police said that the cyber kidnappers have been recently targeting foreign exchange students recently, and especially, Chinese foreign exchange students. (With inputs from agencies)

A ‘cyber kidnapping’ scam left a Chinese exchange student freezing in Utah wilderness

<p>The increase in hikers, campers and climbers around Squamish in southwestern British Columbia, Canada has intensified their friction with locals, especially in the wake of the visitors opting to answer the call of nature in the wild.<br />
<br />
The Squamish Access Society (SAS) earlier this week stated that it has entered into a partnership with the park service of the province and local businesses to install five poop bag dispensers at busy climbing spots, with four more dispensers set to come in the weeks ahead.<br />
<br />
Generally, visitors leave the temperate rainforest with an appreciation for rugged beauty, however, not everyone follows the principles of “no trace” camping or climbing, as unfortunate discoveries are later made over not-so-popular hiking trails or on the ledges of remote crags.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-canada-fta-talks-on-hold-canadian-minister-postpones-trade-mission-to-new-delhi-636525">India-Canada FTA talks on hold; Canadian minister postpones trade mission to New Delhi</a></p>

<p>Unlike dog waste bags installed in city parks, the dispensers will have waste-alleviating gel bags, which are known as Wag bags, that contain enzymes which help in breaking down faecal matter and smell.<br />
<br />
For some people who frequently go for outdoor adventure the bags are a fixture of their gear list, however, with social media encouraging many hikers, campers and climbers, SAS felt that the problem was not taking care of itself.<br />
<br />
"There's been an explosion in the usage of our backcountry areas in southwest B.C. and the Sea-to-Sky corridor, and rock climbing is very much a part of that, "said Ben Webster, chair of the SAS, while speaking to CBC.<br />
<br />
"Increasingly we are finding that there are issues with human waste, particularly in our more remote crags,” he said.<br />
<br />
“We tested it out by having a bag and [putting it in] a hot car for the day, inside of the car, and there were no odours afterwards,” he stated while speaking to CityNews.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas: Did Canada PM Justin Trudeau turn down Indian government's generous Air India One offer?</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-did-canada-pm-justin-trudeau-turn-down-indian-governments-generous-air-india-one-offer-635412/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>“So the bags are effective, they’re robust, you don’t have to worry about leakage. And the idea is you take it out and dispose of it properly afterwards,” he added.</p>

<h2><strong>Pictograms to demonstrate how to use bags</strong></h2>

<p>Along with a handful of bags at the stations, the group will also include a number of pictograms which will demonstrate how the bags can be used to relieve oneself in the wilderness.<br />
<br />
One of the owners of Climb On Katy Holm did not blame the rock climbing community for the issue with human waste found in the Squamish area, stating that it is majorly associated with people camping or living in their vehicles.<br />
<br />
"I don't think it is acutely an issue at crags," stated Holm. "Climbers are most certainly familiar with this. Those that have travelled won't see it as something new, but I'm sure others will have challenges adopting,” she said while speaking about the bags.</p>

<p>You can&nbsp;<strong>now write for&nbsp;wionews.com</strong>&nbsp;and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


The increase in hikers, campers and climbers around Squamish in southwestern British Columbia, Canada has intensified their friction with locals, especially in the wake of the visitors opting to answer the call of nature in the wild.

The increase in hikers, campers and climbers around Squamish in southwestern British Columbia, Canada has intensified their friction with locals, especially in the wake of the visitors opting to answer the call of nature in the wild. The Squamish Access Society (SAS) earlier this week stated that it has entered into a partnership with the park service of the province and local businesses to install five poop bag dispensers at busy climbing spots, with four more dispensers set to come in the weeks ahead. Generally, visitors leave the temperate rainforest with an appreciation for rugged beauty, however, not everyone follows the principles of “no trace” camping or climbing, as unfortunate discoveries are later made over not-so-popular hiking trails or on the ledges of remote crags. ALSO READ | India-Canada FTA talks on hold; Canadian minister postpones trade mission to New Delhi Unlike dog waste bags installed in city parks, the dispensers will have waste-alleviating gel bags, which are known as Wag bags, that contain enzymes which help in breaking down faecal matter and smell. For some people who frequently go for outdoor adventure the bags are a fixture of their gear list, however, with social media encouraging many hikers, campers and climbers, SAS felt that the problem was not taking care of itself. "There's been an explosion in the usage of our backcountry areas in southwest B.C. and the Sea-to-Sky corridor, and rock climbing is very much a part of that, "said Ben Webster, chair of the SAS, while speaking to CBC. "Increasingly we are finding that there are issues with human waste, particularly in our more remote crags,” he said. “We tested it out by having a bag and [putting it in] a hot car for the day, inside of the car, and there were no odours afterwards,” he stated while speaking to CityNews. WATCH | Gravitas: Did Canada PM Justin Trudeau turn down Indian government's generous Air India One offer? “So the bags are effective, they’re robust, you don’t have to worry about leakage. And the idea is you take it out and dispose of it properly afterwards,” he added. Pictograms to demonstrate how to use bags Along with a handful of bags at the stations, the group will also include a number of pictograms which will demonstrate how the bags can be used to relieve oneself in the wilderness. One of the owners of Climb On Katy Holm did not blame the rock climbing community for the issue with human waste found in the Squamish area, stating that it is majorly associated with people camping or living in their vehicles. "I don't think it is acutely an issue at crags," stated Holm. "Climbers are most certainly familiar with this. Those that have travelled won't see it as something new, but I'm sure others will have challenges adopting,” she said while speaking about the bags. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Canada installs special 'poop bag' dispensers to fix faecal furore in wilderness

wilderness

Wilderness, News on Wilderness, stories on Wilderness, articles on Wilderness, Wilderness stories at Wion, Wilderness news, Wilderness latest news