Photo: Vernon Search and Rescue

A large group with a cat was rescued off Silver Star Mountain Tuesday evening.

A family visiting from Europe and some local youths became disoriented on Silver Star Mountain Tuesday evening, with Vernon Search and Rescue teams called out to find them.

Two adults, eight children and a pet cat had begun the hike around 2 p.m., heading up the west slope of the mountain. As daylight faded, the group lost its bearings.

The search was considered high priority for rescuers due to the age of the people, the youngest child was only five, and there was little information about their outdoor experience or level of preparedness.

With the weather deteriorating and the temperature dropping, search teams riding ATVS were deployed from points above and below the area of the search.

Rescuers found the group, cold and lost, west of Proctor Lake, according to a VSAR Facebook post.

The family was led to safety and then loaded into vehicles and transported down the mountain to Vernon.

All the hikers, including the cat, were happy to be warm and dry and admitted they were caught unprepared, said the posting.

Vernon Search and Rescue once again encourages people enjoying the outdoors to familiarize themselves with the resources available online and asks people to:

• check the weather before you leave and be prepared for it to change
• carry extra food & clothing – a good rule of thumb for day-trippers is to be able to stay out overnight, in case of trouble