An Indian-origin man has been rescued after spending three nights alone in the remote backcountry of Vancouver Island.
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Keshav Jindal, 25, went missing on 3 August after becoming separated from a friend while hiking to Mount Albert Edward, a 2,100-metre peak in Strathcona Park, British Columbia.
Search crews found Jindal on Thursday morning when an RCMP helicopter spotted him shortly after 10 a.m. He was stranded on a narrow cliff ledge inside a crevasse on the mountainside.
Search focused on likely route
Rescue manager Paul Berry said search teams study the decisions people commonly make after becoming lost and use that information to narrow down likely search areas.
"We believe that he made a decision to go down to the lake and took a shortcut and the shortcut landed him where he was located," Berry said.
He added that the area had already been identified as a likely location for the missing hiker.
Rescued after three nights outdoors
Authorities said Jindal had not planned to stay overnight and was not carrying equipment suitable for spending several nights in the wilderness. He also had a mobile phone, but its battery was already low before he became separated from his hiking partner.
Berry said the hiker had not been seen during earlier helicopter searches, but changing light conditions helped crews locate him during Thursday's flight.
"The subject is alive and well," Berry said as rescuers prepared to lift Jindal to safety by helicopter.
