WATCH: Two women who survived 48 hours lost in the wilderness of Quadra Island are sharing their extraordinary story. Longtime friends Roberta Robson and Karen Talbot say they were losing hope they’d ever be found and survived by drinking rainwater and cuddling together until searchers found them Friday morning.
When a rescue helicopter long lined in two freezing cold women who’d survived 48 hours lost in the wilds of Quadra Island Friday, the friends say it seemed fitting to them. Knowing they were at the end of their ropes of how long they could hold on.
“Another night would have killed us,” said Roberta Robson, who went missing with her friend Karen Talbot.
“We were completely soaked. Completely soaked. I really thought I had killed my friend. I mean we wouldn’t have survived a third night,” said Robson.
Now safe, they are sharing how they survived, and bonded by spending two full days and nights lost, near hypothermic. Surviving by cuddling each other for body heat and drinking rain water.
“It was getting pretty bad,” said Robson.
“Pretty desperate, she said.
It all started when the two women, aged 69 and 75 went out for a light walk before dinner Wednesday afternoon.
But the path had changed and trees had fallen.
“It changes in time you know and we went too far,” said Robson.
The area is out of cell range and in steep rugged terrain they say they lost all direction and found themselves in a deep gulley they couldn’t get out of.
“And then all of a sudden you’re facing death and you think oh my God how did I do this,” said Robson.
“How did I make these mistakes and then all of a sudden get myself into this,” said Robson.
When the sweetest call they’d ever heard came.
“There they were yeah!” said Karen Talbot.
Searchers who had been combing the woods for over a day finally found the missing women.
“It was like oh thank God!” said Talbot.
“It was wonderful to see them,” she said.
“People care so much that they drop what their doing, their whole lives and try to help you,” said Robson.
“They say they’re alive,” said Talbot’s husband Greg Higgins, as he recalled the moment he was told the women had been found.
“And they’re alright so it was great,” said Higgins.
“We’re so lucky,” said Robson’s daughter Danielle Riis.
“It just makes you take everything in stock,” said Riis.
The friends both certain they were saved in the nick of time and now bonded forever by it.
Skye Ryan
