Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation is calling on the provincial and federal governments to address gaps in emergency responses after a Southend couple in their late 50s was stranded on Milton Island for nearly 48 hours.

The couple was left stranded after a 2 and a half boat trip on November 13th that ended with the boat experiencing engine troubles and taking on water. They survived by huddling under a blanket and keeping a fire burning.

PBCN says the RCMP were contacted in the evening but did not activate a search or notify search-and-rescue services. The provincial government said in a statement that since no search-and-rescue was called, support from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency or Provincial Protective Services was not provided. STARS Air Ambulance was also unavailable.

Without a formal medevac system in place, a helicopter had to be arranged by community members and medical support was provided by La Ronge EMS. Responders were repeatedly told to call 911 but there is no cell coverage in the area.

The couple is now safe, but PBCN says the incident shows the severity of the gaps in emergency response up north.