OPP rescue pair of stranded ATV riders
A man and a woman from the City of Kawartha Lakes were rescued after a short ATV ride turned into an overnight ordeal after their ATV broke down.
On Monday around 5 a.m., City of Kawartha Lakes OPP were called about the missing pair. At about 6 p.m. on Sunday, the pair had left for a quick ATV ride on trails in the Norland area, about 90 kilometres northwest of Peterborough, but failed to return home, officers were told.
Their ATV broke down in an area of challenging terrain, police said. They were unfamiliar with the trail system and when the sun started to go down, they chose to stay put and start a fire to help keep them warm overnight.
They were located in good health by officers who used ATVs on the trail system in the area.
Carolyn Graham Richards of the Kawartha ATV Association posted Wednesday on the group’s Facebook page that she was on the phone with OPP officers on Monday morning discussing a plan to locate the couple when the call came in indicating they had been found.
“They had broke down on Trail No. 96 after going through some deep water and their ATV shut down and wouldn’t start again. They are new riders and had never been on the trails before,” she wrote.
Graham Richards noted in her post that she spoke with the pair Wednesday morning.
“It was clearly a very scary situation for them. They learned a difficult lesson, but we’re all glad that they made it out safely. They will definitely be back next year to try the trails, maybe on a club ride next time,” she wrote.
It’s the fourth call in a week the group has received about stranded ATV riders who have broken down on the trails, according to Graham Richards.
The incident highlights the importance of being fully prepared when going out for an ATV ride, she wrote.
For those using the trail system, it’s crucial to have a safety plan in place, police said.
“That includes telling someone what route will be used, carrying a fully charged mobile phone, and dressing for the forecasted weather,” Const. Carrie Lanning stated.
It’s also important riders don’t use trails above their experience level, especially alone, and that individuals don’t ride alone or as a couple with just one machine on bush trails, Graham Richards wrote.