In 40 years of picking mushrooms, Neil Horner had never had an accident. That is, until last week.

Horner, who has the Mushroom Savage business at the Qualicum Beach Farmers香蕉视频直播� Market, was picking mushrooms in a favourite spot on the Cathedral Grove side of the Alberni Summit off of Highway 4 when he slipped and fell, landing hard with a root under his shoulder.

He was in such pain, he couldn香蕉视频直播檛 move. He was able to reach his cellphone and he called 911.

香蕉视频直播淭hat was a close call,香蕉视频直播� Horner said. 香蕉视频直播淲ay too close. I thought I was going to die.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淟ike so many times before, I stumbled on the uneven ground and before I knew it I was down,香蕉视频直播� he wrote in a note to the Alberni Valley News. 香蕉视频直播淭his time though, I heard a sickening crunch and pain crashed through my shoulder.香蕉视频直播�

There was more at stake than an unknown injury to his shoulder: Horner was by himself and couldn香蕉视频直播檛 move without experiencing extreme pain.

香蕉视频直播淚 broke one of the cardinal rules in the mushroom-picking game. I had gone out alone and nobody knew where I was.

香蕉视频直播淎s I looked up at the dimming sky through the trees all around me, I felt very, very alone. Who was to blame for my plight? Oh, that香蕉视频直播檚 easy. It was entirely me,香蕉视频直播� he said.

Alberni Valley Rescue Squad search manager Mike Riddalls said a perfect storm of other challenges prevented SAR volunteers from finding Horner quickly. Many team members were working when the call came out at 2:20 p.m. on Sept. 30. The team was momentarily held up in traffic as emergency personnel dealt with a serious multi-vehicle accident near Coombs Country Candy on Highway 4, on the way east of the city. The gate to the road where Horner said he had walked was locked, and the original coordinates relayed for where Horner was stuck were incorrect.

香蕉视频直播淲e managed to ping his cellphone and get a location that seemed to be close. We talked to him. He said he was less than three kilometres in from the gate,香蕉视频直播� Riddalls said. 香蕉视频直播淗e gave us some clues as to where he went in. We sent a team of five in and did a grid search but we weren香蕉视频直播檛 able to locate him.香蕉视频直播�

By the time they called for extra help from Arrowsmith SAR and found a logging company representative to unlock the gate, the ambulance that responded was called away to another emergency. They tried calling in a helicopter to search the area but were unsuccessful at finding one available.

After lying on the ground for nearly four hours, Horner was able to inch his way to a nearby tree and pull himself up with his good arm. He spoke with one of his rescuers and told them he was going to walk southwest toward a road, even though they asked him to stay put. He walked out of the bush onto a road about 500 metres from where he had fallen 香蕉视频直播渂ut far from where I had thought I was.香蕉视频直播�

He called the rescue team back and let them know he was on the road; they sent an ambulance to pick him up, and an Arrowsmith SAR member drove his truck home.

Riddalls said search teams had managed to pinpoint Horner in less than a square kilometre, but the bush was thick, the going was rough and 香蕉视频直播渋t香蕉视频直播檚 a lot of terrain to cover. He was just difficult to find.香蕉视频直播�

Horner, who suffered a dislocated shoulder when he fell, gave full credit to the SAR teams who answered his call.

香蕉视频直播淚 would like to take this opportunity to give a sincere thanks to the dedicated volunteers from search and rescue who raced to my rescue,香蕉视频直播� Horner said.

He hopes this will be the last time he gets caught in such a dire situation.

Mushroom pickers are notoriously secretive about where they find their product, and many go out into the bush by themselves. Many years ago Horner used to pick with the late Al Savage, who is the inspiration behind his farmers香蕉视频直播� market business name, Mushroom Savage. Lately he has gone out with his son Alex, however Alex recently went to university in Prince George, so Horner went by himself.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 on all sorts of mushroom websites and I香蕉视频直播檓 hoping to find a partner for Mushroom Savage so I don香蕉视频直播檛 have to go alone,香蕉视频直播� he said Thursday.

香蕉视频直播淥ther than that, I plan to fully activate any GPS apps on my phone and give a rough outline of my target route prior to heading out.香蕉视频直播�

Horner香蕉视频直播檚 rescue was the 10th callout in September for the Alberni Valley Rescue Squad. 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檝e had 32 callouts so far this year,香蕉视频直播� Riddalls said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 our busiest year so far. More people are out there active in the bush.香蕉视频直播�

He said it香蕉视频直播檚 the same for many SAR teams this year.

Riddalls said anyone venturing into the bush should make sure they leave a trip plan with someone, bring along a 香蕉视频直播渘oise device香蕉视频直播� such as a whistle香蕉视频直播攙oices wear out from repeated shouting香蕉视频直播攁nd a compass. More information on how to explore safely in the outdoors can be found online at www.adventuresmart.ca.