RCMP uses drone, helicopter, amphibious ATV to rescue man stuck in muskeg

RCMP officers in Île-à-la-Crosse used a number of specialized vehicles including a drone, a helicopter and an amphibious ATV as they rescued a man who was stuck in a muskeg bog on Saturday.

Officers were called to a muskeg near Île-à-la-Crosse after a report said a man had become stuck, the RCMP said.

“Officers responded and could hear the male yelling for help but could not see him,” the RCMP said in a release. “The area was not accessible by ATV or foot, so officers engaged a local resident with a drone, the Canadian Rangers and Saskatchewan RCMP Search and Rescue to assist.”

Police used a helicopter to survey the area, and the stranded man was located early in the afternoon.

Officers then used an amphibious ATV called an Argo — which was provided by a local community member — to get into the area and get the man to safety after he had been stuck for more than five hours. He was taken to hospital, the RCMP said, but his injuries weren’t life-threatening.