Missing hunter found

UPDATE: 9:15 a.m.

A missing hunter has been found safe and sound.

"I believe he'd been found by family and friends who were out searching for him," said Central Okanagan Search and Rescue president and search manager Ephraim Nowak.

The hunter was reported missing after he failed to return at the specified time.

He was found just after 10 p.m.

Nowak said it was snowing heavily along the Coquihalla Connector where the man was hunting, and he wasn't dressed to stay overnight.

Nowak said not to hesitate contacting police right away if someone is missing.

"SAR doesn't charge for rescue and there's no minimum wait time," he said, noting there is a misconception that a person has to be missing for 24 hours before reporting it to police.

He also advised those going in the backcountry to bring along shelter and something to start a fire.

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ORIGINAL: 10 p.m. Dec. 11

Central Okanagan Search and Rescue and Nicola Valley Search and Rescue have been activated for a hunter who has gone missing along the Coquihalla Connector.

COSAR president and search manager Ephraim Nowak confirmed the group has sent a snowmobile team of five members to aid the Nicola Valley SAR in its search, but had few details.

The hunter was reportedly in the Loon Lake and Shrimpton Forest Service Road area, about 50 kilometres east of Merritt.

Nowak didn't have the name of the hunter, nor did he know how long the hunter had been missing for.

Nicola Valley SAR is the primary group in the search, and is believed to be getting additional help from the Merritt Snowmobile Club.

Castanet will update with more details as information becomes available.

– with files from Dustin Godfrey