Search and rescue crews were busy Sunday in the South Okanagan, called out to two separate rescues.

Penticton and District Search and Rescue, along with Oliver-Osoyoos Search and Rescue and CASARA were called in to help two lost hikers who called for help from their cellphone.

“Two young women from Quebec were hiking near Brent Mountain earlier in the afternoon when they became disoriented and lost,” said Mike Porter with PENSAR.

“The duo made the smart choice of staying together, staying in one place, finding shelter from the elements and using their available technology and resources.”

Using technology to their advantage, rescuers were able to ping their location and found the women on Sheep Rock Mountain, about 7,000 feet in elevation.

The duo was found by search technicians at 1:30 a.m., nearly 12 hours after leaving for their hike at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.

“Staying together and staying where they were was critical to their rescue,” said Porter.

“Conditions were not ideal with rain, cold temperatures and high wind, and hypothermia was a considerable threat to these women. Thankfully our team of 11 PENSAR members, 10 Oliver/Osoyoos SAR members and five CASARA members were able to reach them quickly and safely.”

The same day, another Penticton crew assisted RCMP in searching for a missing person at Skaha Bluffs, just south of Penticton.

“The subject was located safely,” says Porter. “Six PENSAR members and 10 Oliver/Osoyoos SAR members attended in the search.”