Pair of North Shore rescues underscore role of technology in safety planning

NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Two rescues on the North Shore Sunday underscore how the right technology can be key to safety planning.

Sunday afternoon, a hiker veered off of the Howe Sound Trail on the North Shore.

“He took a little bit of a spill just south of St. Mark’s. He unfortunately got off trail there,” says Mike Danks with North Shore Rescue.

The man was able to call for help, but finding him was a bit complicated.

“It does happen every once and a while but this guy had a flip phone not connected to a carrier, so the only way he could call for help was to call 911. And even when he calls 911 it’s very limited to the location it gives. It proves to be a bit of a challenge, we’re not able to get a ping off his phone,” Danks explains.

Luckily, he says 911 was able to patch the man through to search and rescue crews who were able to find him after he described where he was.

“We highly recommend that you do have a carrier, it makes things a lot easier for getting in communication if something goes wrong,” Danks says.

The hiker wasn’t injured and was

After a surge in calls, B.C. search and rescue crews are issuing a warning. Meanwhile, a #Surrey outdoor equipment store says, based on its sales, they know what many people will be up to in B.C.’s great outdoors.
Full story: @CityNewsVAN @NEWS1130 @BT_Vancouver pic.twitter.com/HXZJvJlxng

— Ashley Grace Burr (@AshleyBurr_) June 28, 2020

Sunday morning, crews were called to rescue a hiker with an injured knee near Elsay Lake.

“The cell coverage is very limited back there if you get any. They were actually with another group that had a SPOT device, so a satellite device, they activated that device. They were able to communicate that it wasn’t urgent but they required assistance to get back out,” Danks says.

“Some people that were in there that definitely were doing the right thing and being prepared, which really helped us do our job.”

With files from Paul James