On September 6, 2024, at 7:00 am Watson Lake RCMP received a call of an overdue male who had been cranberry picking on the west side of Watson Lake. The Watson Lake man had headed out to pick berries at approximately 3:00 pm on September 5, and was expected to be back within two to three hours.
Officers made boat patrols and located the man's boat tied to shore. Resources were deployed including a local helicopter to search the wooded area.
During the search, officers could hear bear bangers being set off. With the assistance of a conservation officer, the male was located and escorted safely out of the woods and back home.
RCMP would like to remind folks that a recommended piece of equipment to have when exploring Yukon's wilderness is an emergency communication device.
RCMP would like to thank everyone who assisted in the search.