Missing Nanaimo woman found 'very cold,' transported to hospital for assessment

Mount Benson near Nanaimo, B.C., is pictured. (CTV News)

A 21-year-old Nanaimo woman who had been missing since Tuesday in the rugged woods southwest of the city has been found.

She was found "very cold" and was treated for exposure by paramedics before she was transported to hospital for assessment, the Nanaimo RCMP said in a statement Thursday afternoon.

The woman went missing with a 32-year-old man after the pair wandered away from two other people they were travelling with while on a day trip to the Nanaimo Lakes area.

Police say the others tried to search for the missing pair before ultimately leaving the area and returning to Nanaimo.

The man was found by searchers Wednesday night.

Volunteers with Nanaimo Search and Rescue (NSAR) returned to the backcountry Thursday with a helicopter.

The woman was found at approximately 1 p.m. near the intersection of South Forks Road and Nanaimo River Road, police said.

"The Nanaimo RCMP would like to thank everyone involved with NSAR for providing such an essential service to our community and beyond," Nanaimo RCMP spokesperson Const. Gary O'Brien said.

"Their dedication, tenacity and professionalism were instrumental in bringing this incident to a successful resolution."