An overdue hiker, who went missing on a hike in Strathcona Park, walked into the Alberni Valley Rescue Squad’s hall Tuesday while they were actively searching for him.
“First thing I asked him was just ‘What’s your name’ and he said ‘Dallin’,” says Richard Johns, search manager for the Alberni Valley Rescue Squad. “I was like, ‘We’ve been out looking for you.’ He was quite surprised by that.”
Dallin Beaumier had quite the story to tell search-and-rescue crews.
It all started eight days earlier, when he drove down a remote logging road where he parked his vehicle and hiked into the Della Falls trailhead on the west side of Great Central Lake.
Things started going awry for the experienced outdoorsman when he started making his hike back to his vehicle.
That’s when a cougar started stalking him while he was setting up camp for the night.
“It was getting ready to pounce on me,” says Beaumier. “I pulled out my knife and my bear spray. I started yelling.”
Keeping guard all night, the mountain lion finally left and at first light Beaumier started his trek back to his vehicle. As he started to make the drive back to civilization, things really started to go sideways.
“The oil pan had struck a rock, and it was bleeding out oil,” added Beaumier. “And it got stuck in the mud. I tried jacking it up and throwing gravel under it. I couldn’t get it out.”
In the middle of nowhere and knowing no help was coming for possibly days, Beaumier built a wagon to haul all the essentials he needed.
He built the makeshift cart using parts from his car’s muffler, two spare tires and some branches. The wagon eventually became a sledge after the wheels failed.
“I’ve been doing search and rescue for six years, and I’ve never seen anyone with the ingenuity that he had,” said Johns.
If fighting off a cougar wasn’t enough, Beaumier also had a face-to-face encounter with a black bear during his journey back.
“There’s Fuzzy Wuzzy, his face was looking at me right through the woods, and I was just like, ‘Hey, get going!,’” he said.
Battling 30 C weather, he finally made it back to the Della Falls trailhead where he was able to board a water taxi.
“His name is Sean, he’s a really nice guy and gave me a ride for free back to Port Alberni,” Beaumier added.
Beaumier did something critically important before he left for his hike. He left a detailed trip plan and notified a family member that if they didn’t hear from him within seven days they should contact the authorities.
“A trip plan is probably the most vital piece of information that you can leave with someone,” said Johns.
The Alberni Valley Rescue Squad applauded Beaumier for leaving that detailed trip plan and for being extremely resourceful while stranded in the wilderness. But they do recommend bringing a GPS device to communicate, as well as making sure your vehicle can withstand the rugged terrain.
Beaumier adds he isn’t deterred from his unfortunate adventure in the Vancouver Island backcountry and will continue to explore it – carrying a GPS device from now on.
“Nature always throws curveballs,” he said. “You think you know a lot and every single time you go out, you get humbled.”
