In the middle of Big Trout Lake in Algonquin Provincial Park in Canada, the lost camper alarm pierced through the air. One of our 18 group members turned up missing for dinner call. Launching into emergency protocol, we immediately sent two canoes around the island in opposite directions, with one person assigned to stay at camp as the central point of contact and the rest of the group fanned out over land.

We had a system in place in which one sound of the whistle meant all campers were to return to the campsite for mealtime or the beginning of an event, and three blasts signaled an emergency—hurry! We were diligent in performing drills often and unexpectedly, and stressed campers return from wherever they were immediately.

We had the Big Trout Lake island to ourselves, with four staff and fourteen campers, ages 17-25. Following a harrowing paddle against the wind and the waves to arrive on the island, we scored the only two designated campsites and proceeded to set up camp (in keeping with the park rules of a maximum of nine campers per site). The day settled into the usual routine, and the designated “cook” for the evening meal had a fire going and had begun cooking the stew. Each camper carried all the food for one meal for the entire group and was responsible for recruiting a team to help start the fire, cook, and clean up afterward. Leadership development was integral to the program. The basic staples and the cookware were packed in extra bags and distributed among the canoe teams, along with the six tents and other camp equipment.

The food was distributed by size. By that, everyone lined up from shortest to tallest on the first day before we launched into the trip. We assigned the food for the first meal of the trip to the shortest person and the last to the tallest person. That way, the biggest (presumably strongest) campers carried their assigned meal pack for the longest time. Not being a perfect method, we allowed campers to exchange meal packs to fine-tune the distribution.

The entire operation required teamwork. Initially there was some disarray, but in very short order, the group began to gel. Portages required the stronger helping the less strong, but everyone carried their own load, helping as each could with the general load of canoes, paddles, life vests, and equipment. Each person found their niche, what they could do best, and how they could contribute to the trip’s success.

That evening, when dinner was just about ready, the cook of the day blew the dinner whistle. The campers who were not part of meal preparation emerged from their tents or from exploring the island, and we prepared to pray for our meal. As was our custom, we counted off to ensure all eighteen of us were present—we didn’t want anyone to miss dinner. We came up short with only seventeen present. We let out an additional whistle siren and began shouting for the missing camper. She wasn’t in her tent, nowhere to be found! We launched into emergency mode.

My heart was pumping, feeling the weight of responsibility for the team. I took one of the canoes with a camper as we circled the large island to the right. Another staff member and camper went in the other direction. We paddled and yelled. We could hear the other campers yelling as they searched across the island. The island had been encircled when we met up with the other canoe, and my pulse increased.

My mind was racing thinking of news reports from the year before of a large canoe expedition of teenagers who had several campers die in bad weather. My prayer to God was continuous, as were the prayers of the campers. Part of our goal for the trip was to teach the campers about reliance, not only on their fellow team members but, more importantly, on God. If ever we needed His help, it was now. My mind was beginning to formulate what to do if we found her hurt or, worse, found her body. Every eventual possibility was competing for my mental and emotional attention.

Finally, we heard the predetermined all-clear signal from back at the main camp and eagerly headed back. The “lost” camper had wandered back into camp wondering what all the commotion was about! A great sense of relief swept over me as well as the campers. She had been on the island’s far side at the bottom of a hill by the water’s edge, entirely out of earshot of the whistle sound. She had been spending some quiet time alone but had begun walking back before we had circled the island.

One by one, the other campers returned with much jubilation that she was not hurt. The emotional release was over the top as we settled into our long-awaited meal. The joking was fed by the relief from emotional intensity and the fear of tragedy. The stew, which was hot before the search, was now cold, stale, and had thickened into a gum-like texture. One camper turned his plate upside down and the stuff didn’t fall out, much to the laughter of almost all. The cook was devastated, this was the one meal he was in charge of, and now people were laughing at it. But someone noticed and began to counter the laughter. Soon others began to encourage and sympathize with him.

The emotion of everything that had just happened affected everyone differently. The camper assigned to stay behind while everyone else searched was depressed and not jubilant with the rest. While the rest of the group went out on the search, she had been too scared to go, and that is why she volunteered to be the one to stay behind at camp. Her fear made her feel like a failure! In actuality, this camper had the crucial role of being the base-camp contact person, and the one in charge of sounding the all-clear alert if the lost camper wandered back into camp (as ended up happening). Some campers were just plain glad everything turned out well. Others were sobered by the experience and had a new-found appreciation for the need to look out for each other.

It was a great relief for me that our missing camper was all right, and I had a renewed emphasis on safety protocols for the group. But most of all, I praised God for how the team pulled together in the face of a possible tragedy. The tone and camaraderie of the team took a significant turn, and for many, it was a life-changing experience.

On a practical note, the renewed emphasis on teaching safety and teamwork in the wilderness helped us in subsequent years when a bear wandered into camp looking for food, and on three different occasions when we came face to face with wild moose.