CANADIAN WOMAN SURVIVES SEVEN WEEKS IN REMOT FOREST

A Canadian woman who had been missing for seven weeks in Nevada is
recovering in hospital after being found by hunters.










Searchers are still looking for Rita Chretien's husband Albert, 59, who left
her with their van three days after they got stuck in the mud on a remote forest
road on March 19.
Mrs Chretien, 56, is recovering in hospital following her rescue. She had
survived on snow, water and a small amount of trail mix.
Corporal Dan Moskaluk, spokesman for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said
Mrs Chretien's family has spoken to her by phone.
"They were very relieved to see how much she sounded like herself," Cpl
Moskaluk said.
"It's obviously very emotional and bittersweet, given that the husband is
still outstanding."



The couple's van became stuck in mud on a remote forest
road


Mr Chretien left the couple's Chevrolet Astro van to seek help after they got
stuck on the mountain road 20 miles from the nearest highway, in Elko County,
northern Nevada.
They had left their home in Penticton, British Columbia, to attend a Las
Vegas trade fair for their construction excavation business.
The area where the van was stranded has been blanketed with snow and rain in
recent weeks. It was unclear if the couple were sightseeing, or simply got
lost.
Before her discovery, the woman's family believed both of the Chretiens were
dead, said Cpl Moskaluk.
He added that he had never before dealt with a case where a stranded person
survived that long without help. "We were just awestruck with it, just
dumbfounded," he said.

It's obviously very emotional and bittersweet, given that the husband is
still outstanding.

Cpl Moskaluk on the relief of Mrs
Chretien's family following her rescue



Following her ordeal, Mr Chretien was airlifted to St Luke's Magic Valley
Medical Centre in southern Idaho, where she is listed in fair condition, said
hospital spokesman Ken Dey.
Her family was flying over to reunite with her, Mr Dey added.
The Elko County Sheriff's Department and the nearby Owyhee County Sheriff's
Department in Idaho resumed their search for Mr Chretien on Saturday.
A search by plane was called off because of bad weather and poor visibility,
but about a dozen rescue workers were conducting a ground search, said Owyhee
County sheriff's deputy CJ Stappler.
The Chretiens were first reported missing in late March by family when they
failed to return home to Canada as planned.
In the first two weeks of April, authorities conducted air and ground
searches in eastern Oregon, Cpl Moskaluk said.
The family even hired a private plane to aid in the April search operation,
but Cpl Moskaluk said that because of the vast geography it was "like finding a
needle in a haystack".