The owner of a B.C. lodge said he was "surprised" and "relieved" when an Ontario couple, who were staying at his resort, turned up on Sunday after being lost in the forest for seven days.

North Bay natives Rick Moynan and Lynne Carmody, who are both in their 60s, emerged from the wilderness virtually unscathed near Cathedral Provincial Park, about 80 kilometres southwest of Penticton, B.C.

After nearly 100 searchers were unable to track down the pair, crews were preparing to inform their family that they may scale back their hunt.

Moynan and Carmody had embarked on a daylong hike near the Cathedral Lakes Lodge when they disappeared last Monday.

Rick Pedmas, the owner of the resort and friend of the couple, told CTV Vancouver that he was stunned when they were found within three kilometres of the searchers' base camp. The pair had stumbled upon their rescuers after spotting a helicopter.

"It was not like they were complete strangers, I knew them pretty well and I was feeling pretty depressed about it. I was actually expecting the worst. I was really relieved and actually quite surprised when I saw them," said Pedmas.

It is believed the couple somehow wandered away from their intended hiking route.

Despite concerns about their safety, Moynan and Carmody were found in relatively good condition.

They were exhausted, bug-bitten and bruised, and were taken to hospital for dehydration before eventually being released.

One search and rescue worker said the couple were in better condition than some of the searchers.

Moynan father, Bob, told The Canadian Press that he was surprised that their disappearance was getting so much attention.

"(Rick) says, 'We didn't know what all the fuss was about,'" said Bob Moynan.

"I said, 'Well Rick, think about it. You were due back for dinner on Monday night at five o'clock, and you're seven days late."'

The pair managed to survive by constructing a shelter near fresh water.

Bob Moynan told The Canadian Press that his son is an experienced outdoorsman and Carmody's now-deceased longtime husband worked in search and rescue.

He added that the couple's disappearance was "terrible" for his family, but he is thankful that they were found unharmed.

"It's almost a miracle that they could survive seven days and be able to be healthy enough to have been able to walk out. So we're just terribly, terribly grateful that it's over, and we've all learned something."

With files from The Canadian Press and a report from CTV Vancouver