Alone and lost in the woods for days – it’s the stuff movies are made from.
But it wasn’t a movie for Ted (age 76) and his wife of 48-years Cecilia (age 70) after they became lost in the woods in Lake of Bays Township near Huntsville on August 31, 2020.
The couple were staying at a cabin that had been in the family for decades on Oxbow Lake. Ted knew the area well and on Monday they decided to go for a picnic around 10 a.m.
What started out as a picnic became a nightmare for the couple when they became lost on their way back.
Each thought the other had brought a cell phone, but neither did.
So, they were alone, lost and being on vacation no one knew the danger they faced.
With the temperature falling to 9 degrees Celsius at night, there was also the worry about wildlife – specifically bears.
With many rivers and streams around, water wasn’t the problem, but food certainly was.
On Wednesday, the couple decided to go to the top of a large hill to hopefully spot something in the distance. But nothing was found. Cecilia previously told Today’s Northumberland that Ted was first down the hill, followed a short time later by his wife.
It was at that moment the two became separated. Cecilia told Today’s Northumberland she wandered around for another night, but made it to a road on Thursday morning where a passing motorist stopped and called 9-1-1.
It was at that time, a massive ground, air and water search started.
There were 23 members of the OPP Central Emergency Response Team, two members of OPP Central Region canine team, OPP helicopter, drone, OPP Huntsville Detachment Marine Unit and members of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry involved in the search.
On Friday morning at approximately 1:30 a.m. members of the OPP Central Region Response Team spotted the bald head of Ted laying in the brush.
Police lit a fire, then carried him over two kilometres to an ambulance. He had cuts and bruises, was missing some clothing and had hypothermia. Ted was rushed to a hospital in Huntsville where he stayed until Thursday, September 10, 2020 where he was released.
OPP Emergency Response Team member Rich Boyd was one of five officers that found and treated Nasmith.
Boyd said, it’s “very rare” that a person being lost in the woods for that period of time for that age would come out alive.
“Basically everything was against him. But he had the will to push on.”
Shortly after arriving in Grafton on Thursday, September 10, 2020 from the nearly three hour journey, Today’s Northumberland caught up with the couple at their home.
Still frail, Ted walked out of the house on his own with his right hand in a cast. Cecilia seemed to have recovered from the ordeal and was clearly happy to have her husband back home.
The couples golden retriever Barkley didn’t stray far from either Nasmith.
Nasmith praised staff at the hospital in Huntsville saying, “they did a good job patching me back up and putting me together.”
Although he’s still foggy remembering when he got rescued, he clearly remember the Ontario Provincial Police officers.
“The first thing I remember is people talking to me and they told me they were police officers. They told me they were building a camp fire, but I couldn’t understand why police officers were building a camp fire.”
Because of the days in the forest with no food and only water from creeks and streams, Nasmith thought it was an illusion.
“But suddenly they started taking me through the bush and I could see the moon all the time.”
“When we got to the ambulance and all the lights came on – they started asking me questions.”
When Nasmith heard paramedics radio the hospital and say “he seems to be in good shape,” he new the nightmare was over.
Nasmith said during his five days in the woods, he never lost hope.
“You don’t lose out hope – ever. Because what’s the point of it. If it’s the end it’s the end.”
“But you don’t hope. You should always try and find your way out. I kept my mind always what I was trying to do.”
During the days and nights with his wife and alone, Nasmith said he never saw any cabins or trail markers.
“At one point I could hear the helicopter overhead, but they couldn’t see me and I couldn’t see them.”
The brush was to dense. Police described the terrain as very think bush, steep inclines, bodies of water including lakes and rivers, very wet, rocks and cliffs.
“The second day, me and Cecil were in a real bad rain storm and there was lots of mud. At one point I lost a shoe. I decided I had the other one and it wasn’t doing much good.”
That night, it was pitch black. All they had was a tarp to protect them from the heavy downpour.
“We decided to sit up and luckily we did because I could feel my feet – I was sitting with my feet on the ground next thing I know there was a hole going up beside me and she (Cecilia) was in the hole at one point.”
The heavy rains washed away an area where the couple were.
Ted said, “I was scared if it she would have caved in, there would have been no help.”
Cecilia managed to get out with the help of her husband and the pair quickly scaled a cliff.
Cecilia said, “he basically bullied me up the side of a muddy cliff.”
Ted Nasmith said when he was alone staying calm wasn’t a problem, but the illusions that he would see as the days went on “became frustrating.”
Hypothermia became a problem with the weather fluctuating and sometimes heavy rain.
Days of not eating was taking its toll on Nasmith who lost weight decided to discard his pants because he was literally holding them up by the belt.
He also lost a hockey jersey, a had and glasses.
Nasmith said he was comfortable in the woods and confident about survival after reading several books.
He carried a walking stick that helped him during the day and at night used it for protection as he slept.
Sleeping at night as soon as it was daybreak, he got up and started walking until it was night again.
“And that helped me because I slept well at night even though I was cold.”
During the days in the woods, Nasmith said he came to close to three bears.
The first one was a mother and cub, the second one was two bears and a cub and the third one, he nearly stepped on.
“I nearly stepped on a baby bear and I got out of that place in a hurry.”
“She (the mother) followed me a long way after, but once I got away from her she knew I hadn’t touched her baby.”
If people do get lost in the woods, Nasmith advises, to not get upset.
“Because you’re lost. What’s the point of getting upset? What’s the point of thinking you’re going to die?”
Nasmith said the first thing anyone lost should do is sit back and think if they left any messages for people to find. If they did then people will know where you are.
If that happens, the second thing to do is “stay where you are – stay in the open.”
“But if you don’t leave a message and know one knows where you are – then you have to make a decision.”
A decision that Nasmith only shared with his wife after they were reunited is when he went down the hill alone on Wednesday, it was on purpose so both would go their separate ways in hopes of one reaching help.
“One decision I had to make that I hope I never have to make that decision again – Cecil didn’t want to split up. I felt that splitting up was the best thing we could do and we did split up. I left her. I didn’t say where I was going I just disappeared into the bush.”
Nasmith’s idea worked as he wife made it to safety approximately 24-hours after the couple split and summoned help.
Cecilia’s advice to people who find themselves lost don’t give up.
“As long as I could keep walking I wanted to keep walking. You have to try every chance you have – that’s the important thing.”
But after several days being lost, “I was prepared to accept death. I didn’t see anyway out.”
“I took a lucky turn on a ATV trail and that’s how I got out.”
Home safe the Nasmith’s said they were grateful for the prayers and thoughts from the community.
“Somehow we must have felt it because we didn’t give up hope, we kept on trying and it paid off. Hearing those good wishes in person when I got out put a lot of sunshine into the situation for me.”
Exclusive – Story of the Heroes Involved In Finding Grafton Man Lost In The Woods For Five Days
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
