North Shore hikers rescued in a busy day for emergency crews
Posted May 30, 2021 3:51 pm.
NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – North Shore Rescue crews responded to four calls Saturday, with three of them occurring at the same time.
Team Lead Mike Danks says crews were called out to help three different people on Mount Seymour – the first call came in around 11:30 a.m.
“[A] hiker that had taken a fall and was stuck in a tree well. We had a second call for another hiker that was on the Alpine trail that had injured their ankle, and as we were packaging both those subjects, we had another call come in – a female that had taken a fall into a tree well, as well,” he says.
He says the recovery effort took some time for one of the hikers, as they had fallen about eight feet down the tree well.
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Danks says that with the warmer weather, hazards that may otherwise be covered are showing through.
“The snow is melting out very quickly. When you’re crossing creeks or anything like that, it is hollowed out underneath, so there’s potential to fall through. There can be chunks that break off and come across the trail.”
He says that to stay safe, it’s important to go back to basics.
“Make sure that the hike that you’re doing, is something that you’re prepared for,” Danks says, adding that hikers should be equipped with extra supplies and appropriate clothing and footwear.
A few hours later, around 6 p.m., they were called to an avalanche at Cypress Mountain, where a woman suffered minor injuries.
“I think it’s a big reminder to people that there are still avalanche conditions back there, the snow is melting out very quickly” Danks says.
