CALLING LAKE — A woman missing for two weeks in the rugged bush and muskeg of north-central Alberta has been found alive.
Rhonda Cardinal was reported missing Aug. 1 from a remote hunting cabin in the Calling Lake area.
RCMP say the 41-year-old woman flagged down a vehicle on a remote road Wednesday about 22 km from where she was reported missing.
A Husky Oil employee drove her to his work site and then a helicopter pilot flew her to hospital in Athabasca where she was treated for minor injuries.
When Cardinal went missing, police and civilian search teams combed the dense bush and boggy ground for days looking for her.
RCMP, who called off the main search last Wednesday, praised the Husky employee and helicopter pilot for helping Cardinal as well as the civilian search and rescue volunteers.
“I cannot thank those who helped us enough,” Sgt. Brian Scott, commander of the Athabasca RCMP detachment, said in a release.
“On terms of recognizing the hard work and continuous effort they all put in trying to locate Rhonda, working through adverse and challenging conditions, in the hopes of finding her alive, we owe them a large heartfelt thank-you.”
Police say Cardinal’s family has been notified and are grateful she survived her ordeal in the woods.