'Do not do this': Widely-shared post on what to do if lost while hiking is wrong, safety group says
A B.C. agency that provides outdoor safety training is concerned about a social media post that’s spreading misinformation.
A post on social media, which has been widely shared on social media recently, instructs people to change their voicemail greeting to include information on their coordinates should they be stranded and have very little battery life left in their phone.
But emergency experts say that’s not the way to go – and people should instead try to reach a 911 operator immediately.
“Every once in a while we see trends going around social media that we need to address, this was definitely one of those,” reads a statement from BC AdventureSmart, a search-and-rescue association.
“The latest is the idea about changing your voicemail if you’re lost,” it continues.
The viral, misleading post claims that changing your voicemail is the best thing to do particuarly if you don't have cell reception. But many people on social media have replied to the post and pointed out that you need reception to change your voicemail anyway.
And if you have any reception, BC AdvenureSmart wants you to call emergency responders.
“If your battery is low, and you are lost or need rescue, dial 911 and tell dispatchers where you are and ask for police.”
“This call will initiate the process to dispatch police and the local ground search and rescue,” the BC AdventureSmart statement reads.
The agency also recommends planning ahead and making contingency plans. Specifically, it recommends people follow the “3 Ts” of trip planning, training and taking the essentials.
“Every educated effort towards personal preparedness made by enthusiasts before their adventure and during an emergency will make a difference.”
BC AdventureSmart also details some of the finer points of cell phone use in an emergency situation.
“Conserve your cell battery, if your battery is low, remember that text messages take far less battery to transmit.”
It also says that search and rescue crews may try and connect with you by text if they know your phone battery is low. And, even if your phone battery isn’t low, it recommends not using your phone except to speak with rescue crews or police.
“Don’t call your friends and family while you’re waiting for rescue,” it says.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING 9 suspects arrested in gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport: Peel police
Nine people have been arrested in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year, Peel Regional Police announced Wednesday.
Some of the winners and losers in the 2024 federal budget
With a variety of fiscal and policy measures announced in the federal budget, winners include small businesses and fintech companies while losers include the tobacco industry and Canadian pension funds.
Gas prices across Ontario expected to climb to levels not seen since 2022, analyst says
Ontario is going to see a big jump at the pumps later this week as gas prices in the province hit levels not seen in nearly two years, according to one industry analyst.
Canada is expected to win 22 medals at the Paris Olympics
Canada is expected to win a total of 22 medals, including six gold, at the Paris Summer Olympics, which open on July 26.
500 Newfoundlanders wound up on the same cruise and it turned into a rocking kitchen party
A Celebrity Apex cruise to the Caribbean this month turned into a rocking Newfoundland kitchen party when hundreds of people from Canada's easternmost province happened to be booked on the same ship.
Liberals must now sell a budget they say will help younger Canadians catch up
It's now up to the federal Liberal government to sell a spending plan it says will help younger Canadians catch up to their elders.
Father of boy accused of stabbing 2 Australian clerics saw no signs of extremism, Muslim leader says
The father of a boy accused of stabbing two Christian clerics in Australia saw no signs of his son’s extremism, a Muslim community leader said on Wednesday as police began arresting suspected rioters who besieged a Sydney church demanding revenge.
Ontario woman out $30K after investing in mortgage company accused of being unlicensed
An Ontario nurse is fighting to recover tens of thousands of dollars in savings she invested in a mortgage company that has since been accused of operating without a licence.
Young New Brunswick songwriter makes appearance on 'The Kelly Clarkson Show'
Eight-year-old songwriter Zuri Hamilton from Miramichi, N.B., got to show off her talent on 'The Kelly Clarkson Show' on Monday.