RCMP rescue parents and their 2 toddlers found 'frozen' after crossing U.S. border into Canada

Annabelle Olivier · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 07, 2025 4:17 PM EST | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

A household of four, including 2 children aged 1 and two, was rescued by the RCMP overnight Thursday aft crossing the American borderline into Canada and becoming mislaid successful the woods successful Havelock, Que.

RCMP Cpl. Martina Pillarova said the 4 were suffering from terrible hypothermia erstwhile they were found. 

"They were successful a precise atrocious state," she said. "They were not capable to determination anymore. They were frozen."

Pillarova said the household perchance became mislaid successful the woods aft crossing the borderline and had been walking for hours earlier the parent called 911. 

"It was the [Sûreté du Québec] who received a telephone and they called america for assistance astatine astir 3:15 successful the morning," Pillarova said. 

That call, she explained, allowed constabulary to get GPS co-ordinates of their approximate determination and constrictive down the hunt area. 

They were located wrong an hr successful the forest, sitting huddled beneath a histrion and incapable to move.

The parents were recovered barefoot, having mislaid their boots successful immoderate benignant of assemblage of water, according to Pillarova, and the children were not dressed for wintertime weather.

"The children were dressed lone successful shoes and sneakers, nary hats, nary gloves. So they were successful a bad, atrocious condition," she said.

The household members were transported retired of the woods to a waiting ambulance, with the parent carried connected a sled, the 2 young children successful the arms of officers and the begetter being rescued a abbreviated clip later. 

Pillarova said the ambulance was waiting roughly 1 kilometre distant from the rescue site, connected Covey Hill Road successful Havelock. 

The Sûreté du Québec and section firefighters assisted successful the rescue operation. 

As of Friday afternoon, Pillarova reported that each 4 household members remained successful infirmary and were successful unchangeable condition.

The RCMP confirmed the household asked for exile presumption and the Canadian Border Services Agency are present successful complaint of the file. 

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