“I thought I was going to die.” School girl who was lost on West Coast mountain tells her story

Leanne John, the 15 year old girl who became lost during a school field trip, is flanked by loving and relieved parents Gloria and George John. The spoke to Ha-Shilth-Sa about their ordeal on March 11. Photo by Denise Titian

By Denise Titian, Ha-Shilth-Sa, March 12, 2015

Ahousaht — Leanne John, 15, was taking part in a school field trip in the rugged and remote Bedwell Valley when she went missing March 3 during a hike up the mountain. The Maaqtusiis school student spent a night alone on the frozen mountainside. This is her story.

A group of about 20 school kids from Ahousaht went to Clayoquot Wilderness Resort in Bedwell Sound. It is the off-season for the resort and the school was using the base camp for their field trip.

Leanne, a Grade 9 student, was part of a group made up of students from grades 8 to 11. They were to spend four days in Bedwell Sound to learn cultural teachings from staff working at Ahousaht’s Holistic Centre.