Missing senior saved by ATV riders in Alberta's Porcupine Hills

A file photo of an RCMP cruiser. (Sean Amato/CTV News Edmonton)

RCMP is crediting the actions of a father and son for saving the life of an elderly man who had been lost for hours in the southern Alberta wilderness.

A Calgary man and his 11-year-old son were riding their ATV in the Porcupine Hills west of Claresholm at approximately 7 p.m. Saturday when they spotted a senior who "appeared to be confused and disoriented."

The father and son rode to higher ground in search of cell phone service and lost sight of the senior.

RCMP members, including police dog services, as well as EMS, fish and wildlife officers and firefighters were deployed to the area.

As the search began, the senior, an 83-year-old Crowsnest Pass resident, was reported missing by loved ones.

Nearly two-and-a-half hours after the initial sighting, Willow Creek Emergency Services members on ATV located the senior and drove him out of the brush to an awaiting ambulance. The man was assessed before being returned to his family.

"The caller, and his 11 year old son, undoubtedly saved the missing man's life," said Cpl. Dalyn Orsten of the Claresholm RCMP in a statement. "Without their actions of calling police and assisting emergency services, the outcome could have been very different."

Investigators believe the senior had been wandering for approximately eight hours in the wilderness after his pickup truck, which has yet to be found, became stuck.

Anyone who encounters a blue 2010 Ford Ranger pickup with Alberta licence plate BZT–4787 is asked to contact local police. The truck will likely be in the East Trout Creek/Lyndon Creek area.