North Shore Rescue warns of hikes in the heat, after someone blacked out

NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – As the weather heats up and after months of being stuck inside, many people are venturing out to bask in B.C.’s backcountry, but it comes with a dire warning from North America’s busiest search and rescue team.

North Shore Rescue is sharing details of a tricky operation earlier this week when, thanks in part to soaring temperatures, someone blacked out on one of the trails as they tried to track them down.

It happened Tuesday evening in a gully on Mount Hanover. Search crews were brought in to help Lions Bay Search and Rescue.

North Shore Rescue Team Leader Mike Danks says the person they were trying to help didn’t have enough food and water, and they passed out three-quarters of the way through the hike. That person was eventually hoisted out of the area.

“A lot of the calls we’ve been responding to have been preventable. We really want to stress to people to bring extra water, make sure you’re hydrated before you go on your hike, and make sure you do the research on the hike to make sure it’s appropriate to your fitness level.”

As crews completed that call, they were needed at Crown Mountain for a hiker who was exhausted, vomiting, and not able to move. Danks notes the heat did not help.

“Just before sunset we were able to extract that hiker and bring him back to our SAR station,” he said.

Pls. avoid hiking right now. @NSRescue recently completed a pair of rescues involving hikers struggling w/the heat, inclu. one person who blacked out. There’s also still snow on some mountains. NSR has responded to 90+ calls so far and is on track to break the 2020 record of 151.

— Sonia Aslam (@SoniaSAslam) June 24, 2021

As we head into a weekend that could see temperatures in some areas hit 40 degrees, Danks says it’s crucial you don’t head out if you don’t know what you’re doing.

“But if you are going to be going on a hike, we want to ensure you have ample hydration, as in water and electrolytes with you, make sure you have some sort of shelter from the sun, whether that’s bringing a hat or something like that and just really plan your route,” he said.

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• North Shore hikers rescued in a busy day for emergency crews

• North Shore Rescue predicts jump in calls as outdoor COVID-19 rules loosened

• North Shore Rescue challenges you to ‘Survive Your Own Adventure’

The heat is just one concern if you’re hitting the mountains.

“We still have snow on the mountains, so people still need to be prepared to travel through snow on some of the north-facing slopes, there’s still quite a bit of snow. It’s melting out from underneath so there is the risk of people falling through and injuring their lower leg area. And once the sun is gone for the day, those conditions can get icy as well. So, people still need to be prepared for winter conditions back there, but at the same time, be prepared for very hot conditions during the day,” Danks explained.

The Lynn Headwaters area, the Hanes Valley route, Crown Mountain and several others remain closed due to the amount of snow that’s up there right now.

As search and rescue teams gear up for what could be a very busy weekend, Danks says they’ve already responded to over 90 calls so far this year. He adds they’re on track to “destroy” last year’s number for calls-out at 151, which was an all-time record.