If you’re a hiker, biker or camper lost in the backcountry and without cellphone service, don’t fret: now rescue services can still find you.

On Friday, North Shore Rescue utilized a new tool: their helicopter-mounted LifeSeeker unit , which can pinpoint a person’s cellphone in areas without cellular service. It’s believed it was the first rescue of its kind in Canada.

The NSR’s Talon Astar helicopter was dispatched on Friday to help Nanaimo Search and Rescue to search for an ebiker who had been missing since the previous day. The helicopter was equipped with the LifeSeeker, contained in a large yellow pod carried externally, which basically acts as a portable cellular tower that enables SAR to search for and “ping” or locate cellphones that are turned on.

Using their new tool, the he

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