09/09/2026
🛑 S.T.O.P.: Four Letters That Can Change the Outcome 🛑
You’re outside. Something has gone wrong.
Maybe you’ve lost the trail. The weather has moved in. Everything looks unfamiliar. You’re injured. It’s getting dark. Or you’ve called 911 and now Search and Rescue is on the way.
What you do next matters.
And sometimes, the best thing you can do is S.T.O.P. 🛑
The recent search for Stanislav Volo (Lions Bay Search and Rescue posted task details) in the Coast Mountains gave us an extraordinary real-world example of just how difficult it can be to locate one person in vast, complex terrain.
Searchers were on the ground. Helicopters were overhead. Drones and sophisticated search technology were being used. Areas were searched repeatedly.
And still, one person could be incredibly difficult to see.
There’s an important lesson here for every outdoor enthusiast:
Once you realize you’re lost or in trouble, continuing to move without a clear plan can make the situation worse — and can make you much harder to find.
That’s why BC AdventureSmart teaches S.T.O.P.
🛑 S — STOP
Stop moving.
That can be harder than it sounds.
When we’re scared, lost or uncertain, there can be a powerful urge to do something. Keep walking. Find the trail. Head downhill. Follow a sound. Push a little farther because surely the road, trail or parking lot is just ahead. There's insightful info re: “LOST” Physiology and Psychology linked here: https://www.adventuresmart.ca/the-three-ts/
But movement without good information can turn a manageable situation into a much bigger one.
You may move farther from your last known location, enter more difficult terrain, become injured or significantly expand the area Search and Rescue needs to consider.
Unless there is an immediate danger where you are, STOP AND STAY PUT.
For SAR, a stationary person is generally a much easier target to find than someone who continues moving.
The farther you move, the bigger the search area can become:
📍 1 km away → 3 km² search area
📍 3 km away → 28 km² search area
📍 10 km away → 314 km² search area
💭 T — THINK
Give yourself a moment to settle down and think clearly.
What do you know?
When were you last certain of your location?
What was the last trail marker, junction or recognizable feature you saw?
Does someone know your trip plan?
Do you have cell service or a satellite communication device?
If you need help and have cell service, call 911.
Think before making your next move. Fear and urgency can push us toward quick decisions that feel right in the moment but may take us farther into trouble.
👀 O — OBSERVE
Now look around.
What can you learn from your surroundings? (is it a safe spot?)
Check your map, GPS or offline navigation.
Look at the terrain and weather.
Take inventory of what you have: clothing, food, water, headlamp, whistle, emergency shelter, fire starter, communication device and remaining battery power.
Think about visibility too.
Could searchers see you from the ground or from the air?
Is there a nearby opening you can safely move to? Do you have something bright you can display? A headlamp? Whistle? Emergency signalling device?
Once SAR is looking for you, help us help you.
📝 P — PLAN
Only after you’ve stopped, thought and observed should you decide what comes next.
Your plan may simply be:
Stay where you are.
Find or create shelter. Stay warm and dry. Conserve your phone battery and other resources. Make yourself visible. Use your whistle. Follow instructions from 911 or Search and Rescue.
If you have communicated your location or SAR knows where to begin looking for you, moving again can make the search more difficult.
Your plan should be deliberate — not driven by panic.
WHY STAYING PUT MATTERS
Search and Rescue is essentially trying to solve a constantly changing puzzle.
Search Managers use your trip plan, last known location, cellphone information, witness reports, terrain, clues and many other pieces of information to determine where teams should look.
Now imagine the person they’re searching for continues travelling.
Every kilometre can create new possibilities.
Did they go up? Down? Follow a drainage? Take another trail? Cross a ridge? Hear something and move toward it?
The search area can grow very quickly.
Staying put gives searchers a stationary target.
And in dense BC terrain, that matters.
You might be surprisingly close to a search team and still be difficult to see or hear. Thick vegetation, gullies, cliffs, rushing water, darkness and weather can all make detection challenging.
That’s why staying put and signalling are such important parts of the equation.
MAKE YOURSELF FINDABLE
Once you’ve called for help, think about how SAR might detect you.
📣 Use a whistle — three deliberate blasts can signal distress.
🔦 Use your headlamp, especially at night.
🟠 Display bright, contrasting clothing or equipment (Robin Blue 🔵 is a helpful colour to spot, especially in the fall).
🏕️ Use your emergency shelter to stay protected and potentially increase your visibility.
📱 Conserve your phone (secondary means of comms) or communication-device (primary means of comms) battery and follow instructions from emergency responders.
And if you hear or see searchers or an aircraft, signal immediately.
You may be able to see them long before they can see you.
TEACH S.T.O.P. BEFORE SOMEONE NEEDS IT
S.T.O.P. isn’t just something for experienced hikers or backcountry travellers.
It’s something we want everyone to know.
Teach it to your kids. This is a part of our Hug a Tree & Survive Program - https://www.adventuresmart.ca/programs/hug-a-tree-and-survive/
Adult learning available 'Survive Outside Program' - https://www.adventuresmart.ca/programs/survive-outside/
Talk about it with your hiking partners.
Share it with the people you ski, snowshoe, bike, paddle, hunt and explore with.
Make it part of your family’s outdoor conversations.
Because an emergency isn’t the ideal time to learn what to do.
Stop. Think. Observe. Plan.
Four simple words can interrupt panic, help prevent a bad situation from becoming worse and help Search and Rescue find you faster.
And as we head toward winter, this becomes especially important. Snow, cold, shorter daylight hours and changing mountain conditions can quickly increase the consequences of a wrong turn or poor decision.
Before every adventure, remember the 3Ts:
🥾 Trip Planning
🎓 Training
🎒 Taking the Essentials
And when the plan falls apart:
🛑 S.T.O.P.
Heading outdoors? Start with BC AdventureSmart for reliable outdoor safety advice, education and resources.
British Columbia Search and Rescue Association
