Vernon Search and Rescue (VSAR) members were left scratching their heads after a bizarre false SOS text sent them on a wild goose chase in search of a person set aflame on a mountain.
On Friday afternoon, Aug. 1, VSAR was asked to respond to an iPhone SOS activation received through iPhone's new satellite messaging technology available to users of iPhone 14 or newer, VSAR said in a Facebook post Saturday afternoon.
The satellite SOS text message read: "THERE IS A FIRE, SOMEONE IS ON FIRE."
GPS location placed the subject around Pinnacle Lake, a two-hour drive east of Vernon followed by a 1.5-hour hike. With the apparent high potential for a medical emergency, VSAR immediately dispatched six volunteers by road and backed them up with another four from its helicopter winch team, using the Air Rescue One Helicopter Winch Society's aircraft and flight crew.
With the teams en route, VSAR's command team back at base was busy obtaining information for the owner of the iPhone, attempting contact via satellite message, text and phone call. At that time, iPhone provided and update of GPS coordinates supposedly 10 minutes old which showed the person still out in the mountains but moving towards the trail head.
Almost immediately, the command team received a call from RCMP investigating a report of a potential spam or scam. Someone was apparently repeatedly leaving messages and claiming to be search and rescue.
"Admittedly, our Search Managers have been called many things over the years, but 'spammer and scammer' are new ones for us," VSAR said.
In fact, an SOS had never been sent.
"You can imagine the surprise of our subject, who was sitting comfortably on their couch back at home, when we informed them they were actually still on the top of the mountain and likely had burns to care for!"
From what VSAR has been able to determine, the person had been hiking in the Pinnacle area that day and while moving back to their vehicle, their iPhone battery died and the phone turned off. Around that time they were walking through an area that had been previously burned by a wildfire.
"With no other explanation to go with, we're left scratching our heads as to the whether it's possible that Siri got a little over zealous in her final minutes, and with her final breath, managed to get a rather twisted message out?" VSAR pondered.
Though the incident was a strange one, the search and rescue crew was able to look on the positive side of the new technological landscape they operate within.
"One might use this as a reminder that we can't always trust technology, but the flip side is the proliferation of satellite technology has been a game-changer for improving our ability to respond swiftly and accurately to (generally) accurate locations of emergency, which more than makes up for the wee quirks here and there. We are very happy this one turned out like it did....it could have been so much worse!"
Search and rescue services throughout B.C. are 100 per cent free, "delivered by committed volunteers who live for puzzles to solve and thrive in situations with limited and ever changing information," VSAR said.
"If you ever need us, or even just think you might need us, 911 is the call to make!"
