Toronto Police have released compelling video footage documenting the successful rescue of a young family who became lost in Rouge National Urban Park earlier this month. The dramatic operation involved a couple and their one-year-old daughter who found themselves disoriented in dense wilderness during a hiking excursion.
The Emergency Unfolds
On Friday night, police officials disclosed that officers from the Air Support unit were summoned to assist 42 Division with what began as a "check address" call. The situation quickly escalated when authorities learned that a family had become "disoriented in dense bush while hiking near a stream" within the massive park boundaries.
The incident occurred in the Steeles Avenue East and Reesor Road area of Markham, prompting an immediate response from specialized units. Police deployed their Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) to begin searching the challenging terrain of the 79.1-square-kilometre park, which holds the distinction of being the largest urban park in North America.
Modern Rescue Techniques
Dispatchers employed innovative technology to pinpoint the family's exact location, advising them to use the 'What3Words' app - a free navigation tool that assigns three-word addresses to precise global locations. This digital mapping technology proved crucial in narrowing down the search area.
The police drone quickly located the stranded family in thick brush, but the rescue operation faced immediate challenges. "Air Support officers first tried to guide the family out using verbal directions," police explained in their official statement. "But the rugged terrain made it unsafe for them to navigate alone with a small child."
Recognizing the potential danger, uniformed officers from 42 Division prepared to enter the extremely dense vegetation to assist with the physical extraction.
Multi-Agency Coordination
The operation expanded to include an OPP helicopter crewed with a Toronto Police tactical flight officer, working in seamless coordination with the drone team. Using live aerial views and precise digital coordinates provided by the technology, ground officers were able to navigate directly to the family's location.
The nearly four-minute video footage released by police shows the careful extraction process as officers guided each family member to safety. Despite the challenging conditions and dense vegetation, the rescue was completed without any injuries or further incidents.
Toronto Police emphasized that this successful operation demonstrates their ongoing modernization efforts, combining drones, air support, and digital mapping tools to enhance response effectiveness. The integration of these technologies improves safety outcomes for both the public and responding officers in wilderness rescue scenarios.
The incident serves as an important reminder for hikers to be prepared with navigation tools and to exercise caution when exploring Canada's extensive park systems, even those located within urban boundaries.
