B.C. man lost for 5 nights in mountains near Squamish shares survival story

A man who had gone missing near Squamish, British Columbia, for nearly a week has been discovered alive, according to police and search and rescue officials. Stanislav Volo, who was reported missing on August 30, was located following a thorough search operation involving various agencies, as confirmed by the Sea to Sky RCMP in a news release.

Police stated that Volo was transported to a hospital with what are thought to be minor injuries. “It looks like a very good outcome, a very strong young man, he’ll be fine,” remarked Sue Nicholson, a representative of Squamish Search and Rescue, speaking to Global News. Volo was found on his own his own path on the Indian Arm Forest Service Road, located in a remote region behind the mountain range above Squamish.

“We have fantastic news today. Staz has been found,” Tyler Duncan, the operations director and search manager of Squamish Search and Rescue, told Global News. “It has, honestly, in almost 20 years of search and rescue, been one of the most involved searches I’ve ever been involved in,” he added. Resources were mobilized from across British Columbia, encompassing search and rescue teams from Pemberton to Mission and teams from Vancouver Island.

Duncan stated that crews were engaged in operations throughout the night and utilized equipment like infrared and cellphone detection technology during their quest to locate Volo. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) disclosed that its police dog services, Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team, and Air Services were part of the search effort, alongside Squamish Search and Rescue and the Sea to Sky Gondola team.

“A heartfelt thank you to every SAR team, first responder, volunteers, and everyone else who played a part in the search — and to everyone who shared, supported, and kept hope,” a social media post from the Squamish Search and Rescue team read. Police opted to release no additional information with the aim of respecting Volo’s privacy.