CANADA (CNN) – The daughters of the hikers who self-rescued know just how lucky their parents are. Rick Moynan, 59, and partner Lynne Carmody, 61, were lost for seven long days – targets of a massive search.
Five helicopters, three fixed-wing aircraft, and 40 searchers on the ground combined 200 square kilometers of rugged, parched terrain southwest of Keremeos.
The couple went for a day hike from the remote Cathedral Lake lodge and vanished with virtually no food and water.
After six days, searchers had given up hope. A crew had even taken the heartbroken family members to the search areas to let them say goodbye.
“I can’t even begin to describe the emotions that happened in those few minutes,” said daughter Sara Moynan.
“They said something about following the direction the helicopters were going, and they knew they had to be getting closer,” said daughter Lia Carmody.
The pair emerged just a couple of kilometers from where they began their hike.
Both were bug bitten, scratched, bruised and dehydrated but amazingly in good shape.
“They had two oranges, three cookies, nine Tic Tacs and two Werther’s Originals, and they came back with one Tic Tac,” said Moynan.
But searchers say the pair made fundamental mistakes-in an unforgiving wilderness by not having survival gear with them or anything to start a fire or signal. They also moved around, which created challenges in the search.
Moynan and Carmody don’t want to talk about their experience at this time. They say they need a few days to eat, rest and recuperate.
