Smart thinking by an RCMP 911 operator is being credited with rescuing two boys lost in the woods near Sainte-Marie-de-Kent.
RCMP say two boys called 911 after becoming lost while hiking on July 14.
The boys, aged 12 and 13, were put through to Angelia Hermenier, an RCMP 911 operator.
Police say the boys had cell phones and a compass with them.
Using technology available to operators and her own knowledge of the area, Hermenier was able to guide them through the woods towards a nearby road.
She also reached out to one of the boys’ mothers and guided her to drive to the edge of the woods and honk her vehicle horn consistently to help lead them out with sound.
After about an hour, the boys were safely reunited with their families.
“The boys did the right thing – they had cell phones and a compass with them, and they did a great job following our directions,” says Hermenier.
“This was really a team effort by everyone on the floor of the OCC (Operational Communications Centre), along with our members in the field, and the boy’s mother, everyone jumped in to help these kids get home safe.
“These are the kinds of calls that make you smile when you hang up – it’s so rewarding to be able to help people and to know you were an instrumental part of getting someone to safety. This is why we do this job,” added Hermenier.
