My brother Donaven and I were riding our motorcycles in the Ghost PLUZ. while riding some simple and easy trails at Leisure Creek we attempted to cross a small section of wet muddy ground in an open field my motorcycle became stuck. We attempted to recover it using a Z-Drag recovery system, but the bike was far too buried. As we were packing up and getting ready to backtrack the trail on foot. We heard the roar/screech of a mountain lion/cougar very close to us; In the direction we were about to begin hiking out.

We immediately grabbed our bear spray and knives and took up a defensive position and attempted to get a visual on the animal. 10 minutes later, we spotted the animal barely 150m away, looking at us through the trees. Cougars are ambush predators with large claws and teeth and are pure muscle. Since we are Canadian, the law prohibited us from carrying firearms. We relied on bear mace and knives for protection. We tried revving one of the stuck bikes to scare the cougar off, but it showed no reaction. Instead, it slipped into a heavily wooded area nearby, though out of sight, we could still hear it moving through the brush.

Surrounded by semi-dense forest, we decided to dig in and call for rescue to avoid the risk of an ambush. With no cell reception, we activated our PLB400 and initiated an emergency call using the iPhone 16’s built-in satellite communicator. In addition, we had a small short-range radio, which we used to maintain communication. While we communicated with emergency services, Fish and Wildlife officers deployed to our location. They successfully triangulated and locked onto the beacon signal, enabling a precise and efficient response.

For 4 hours, I stood with my brother Donaven back-to-back, waiting for the cougar to pounce. We saw it 3 different times on all different sides, trying to sneak up on us. Every time we were able to shout and deter it. When officers Lorne Rinkle and Abby Beer finally arrived on foot they were armed with far more appropriate tools to assist us. (high powered rifles and shotguns). We began hiking out as a team, abandoning all non-essential gear. For what felt like an hour, a cougar stalked us as we made our way back to the officers’ truck. We spotted it multiple times, shadowing us from the tree line.

Thankfully, due to Donaven and I’s survival training and outdoor experience and Abby and Lorne’s training and expertise, we were all able to escape unharmed.