Stranded paddlers get military rescue in Yukon

Three American paddlers are safe after being rescued by the Canadian Forces in Yukon.

Shane Yarboroughand two otherpaddlers from Skagway, Alaska, had been hiking and paddling a raft on the Wheaton River.

However, they appear to have confused the Watson and Wheaton rivers.

"We got turned around on the river so we found the highest area we could. We sat down and set up camp until everybody came to get us," said Yarborough.

Scott Smith is a helicopter pilot with Trans North Helicopters who saysa search was called Monday.

"One fellow that worked in Skagway didn't show up for work on Monday. His boss was concerned and knew he was coming up here to float the Wheaton. The boss drove up here yesterday and found his vehicle parked at the wrong river," he said.

Private pilots and police searched the banks of the Watson and Wheaton rivers alongside Yukon Search-and-Rescue volunteers.

"We searched late into last night. As long as I was legally able to fly," Smith says.

It wascoincidence that military helicopters were training nearby as part of Operation Nanook. TwoBell CH-146 Griffonhelicopters took part in the search.

Tuesdaymorning the helicopters found the paddlerswho had been waiting in place for 18 hours.

'We had a fire going'

Yarborough said the paddlers first tried to hikeand find their bearings, after about six hours they set up camp withtents, sleeping bags andrain gear anddecided to stay put.

"We were warm and dry the whole time," he said."We had a fire going, we had a tarp set up as well as a tent."

After 18 hours, the group had run out of food.

Yarborough says he was glad to see theGriffonhelicopters arrive and fly low over the camp.

"It was awesome. We were super-excited and getting ready to go. We knew we had been found," he said.

Helicopters testing cameras

Major Luc Vermette is aFlight Commander with the 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron based in Edmonton.

He says the helicoptersare testing new heat-sensingcameras designed to find people in places like forests where there's plenty of cover. The cameras weren't needed to find the paddlers.

Vermettecredits the paddlersfor packing tents and sleeping gear andclimbing to higher ground in the hopes of a rescue.

"It was the best possible turn out," he said.

Smith says they should have been better prepared.

"No SPOT, Delorme, GPS,sat phone.In my opinion the were ill-prepared and lack of pre-planning is what put them in this situation," he said.