On April 18, 2011 at 10:00 p.m. the Prince Rupert RCMP received a call from a resident in Metlakatla stating relatives, an adult male and his nine-year-old son, went for a walk around 12:00 p.m. to a lake that is approximately 20 minutes from the village and still had not returned.
A ground search was being conducted by community members of Metlakatla at the time the call was made to the RCMP. The Prince Rupert RCMP initiated contact with Search and Rescue and Provincial Emergency Program (P.E.P.). The lost hikers were able to contact the Prince Rupert RCMP via cell phone and indicated they were not injured, however, they had no food and no water and were growing cold and apprehensive to being out in the wilderness this time of day. The adult male provided the RCMP with directions of where they had travelled since leaving the lake, and stated they were waiting in an open area and were able to light a fire.
Due to night fall the helicopter could not depart until daylight, this was scheduled for a 6:00 a.m. departure. At 6:00 a.m. a Heli-jet helicopter, containing a Prince Rupert RCMP member as well as Search and Rescue personnel headed out to search for the missing hikers. At approximately 7:15 a.m smoke from the fire was spotted by the helicopter and the hikers were located. The hikers ended up approximately 10 kilometres from the lake they had set out to find.