Coquitlam Search and Rescue now say a call that came Wednesday night purporting to be from an injured dirt biker on Burke Mountain may have been a hoax.
Michael Coyle is concerned about the misuse of resources after a call about an injured hiker failed to turn up anyone.
Spokesperson Michael Coyle said his team is now looking into ways to incorporate radio direction-finding equipment into their training to enhance their ability to track calls that come in via low radio frequency walkie talkies.
Coyle is also asking parents to talk to their kids about misusing these communication devices, which are easily purchased at stores such as Costco. "They could be charged if found," said Coyle, who noted that dozens of volunteers responded to the call Wednesday night and during the day Thursday.
The team spent hours searching a heavily-wooded area around the Port Coquitlam and District Hunting and Fishing Club at the end of Harper Road.
The call made at about 8:45 p.m. Wednesday was picked up by a ham radio operator, who passed it on to police.
RCMP Cpl. Jamie Chung confirmed that police took the call and deployed resources to find the individual, and called Coquitlam SAR to help with the search.
The emergency call was made using a walkie-talkie style radio communication device and the individual didn't have a phone or didn't provide a phone number in his original communications to the ham radio operator, according to Coyle, search and rescue spokesperson.
As well, there was no official report of a missing dirt bike rider and no bike or car were found.
The individual reportedly provided a name, which when verified with the help of Coquitlam RCMP and social media turned out to be someone at home safe and sound.
Coyle said the team was working with the RCMP to possibly identify the individual and was disappointed about the call, which resulted in the deployment of resources that could have been better used elsewhere.
"We have to take it seriously and we have to respond the same way we do to anything else."
