Two hikers rescued after breaking their legs on different North Shore Mountains
Posted December 8, 2018 4:12 pm.
Last Updated December 8, 2018 8:50 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
NORTH SHORE (NEWS 1130) – An man injured hiking on the North Shore has been rescued and sent to the Lions Gate Hospital.
The 27-year-old man was hiking by himself when he fell 30 feet, broke his leg and lost consciousness on the Baden Powell Trail on Black Mountain. He was hiking by himself, but was able to call 911 once he regained consciousness. Crews known where he is and may be lifting him out by helicopter.
North Shore Rescue also rescued a second hiker who broke her leg hiking on Cypress Mountain this morning.
Mike Danks with North Shore Rescue says changes in the weather can spell trouble on the trails.
“The conditions are changing in the mountains right now. I think people need to be prepared for winter conditions,” he says. “It is slippery out there, and the temperature can fluctuate rapidly.”
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He says the hiker was not adequately prepared for the hike — he didn’t have any gear with him at all — and stressed carrying the appropriate gear can prevent trouble on the trails from becoming even worse.
“As a visitor to Vancouver, he is in an area he is not familiar with … he’s already very hypothermic,” he says. “He got really lucky that he had a cell signal where he was.
“We really stress to people to make sure you have a fully-charged cell phone, bring an extra battery, and if you’re going to be going into more remote areas, to have a satellite device that you can call for help from anywhere.”
Rescue crews found the man’s coordinates by pinging his phone, and sent in field team with two doctors and a rescue technician to get him out.