RCMP in Alberni say the search for a lost hiker could have ended tragically due to delays by friends in reporting the woman as missing amid an outstanding arrest warrant.

According to police, officers received reports of a missing hiker on Dec. 30 at 7:15 a.m. The woman had been hiking and mushroom picking in the area off Cameron Main Service Road and was last seen at 2:30pm the previous day.

Police say that the woman's friends had been searching the area through the day and night but were unsuccessful in finding her. The Alberni Valley Rescue Squad aided in the search once the report was made to police.

After spending the night outdoors "without appropriate clothing or outerwear," the woman was located and taken to hospital, police said, and "her warrant was addressed later in the day by RCMP."

Sgt. Chet Carroll said that cryptic details of the report delayed search efforts.

"We should always strive to do the right thing, but it is even more important to be honest when someone鈥檚 life is at risk," Carroll said in a statement on New Year's Eve.