Hikers keep North Shore Rescue crews busy over long weekend

North Shore Rescue (NSR) crews were kept busy over the long weekend with a series of incidents that required its members to get involved.

On Saturday, Sept. 28, NSR members took time to familiarize themselves with a lesser-used trail in Mount Seymour Park to practice for avalanche operations — but the weekend was only just getting started.

On Sunday afternoon, NSR crews responded to reports of an injured hiker near Norvan Falls, north of North Vancouver. NSR says a Metro Vancouver ranger heard calls for help on the trail to the falls and was able to direct the hiker to a helipad for NSR rescue crews to fly the pair to safety.

On Monday morning, West Vancouver Fire crews were able to handle a call on NSR’s behalf for an injured hiker in the Nelson Creek area.

On Monday afternoon, NSR says it was called to another injured hiker near the Eagle Bluffs area of Cypress, but crews were diverted when Lions Bay Search and Rescue called for aid.

NSR says a second crew was then sent in a helicopter to Eagle Bluffs to provide first aid and warming to the hiker.

“The subject was then long lined out to Cypress. Thank you to Cypress staff for setting up the [landing zone],” NSR said.

Meanwhile, the first crew assisted Lions Bay Search and Rescue with a rescue on the East Lion mountain peak.

“The East Lions subject had been solo scrambling/climbing that mountain. On his unhelmeted descent from the summit, he fell — a significant distance — and was apparently unconscious for [approximately] 30 minutes. When he came to, he had miraculously been stopped by some shrubs on a ledge. Upon regaining consciousness, he called 911,” NSR said.

When the NSR helicopter arrived, a mountain rescue tech reportedly descended to a few metres above the subject, set up an anchor, and an ER doctor was lowered down to provide medical care. 

The crews were then picked back up, NSR says, and the subject was flown back to its Capilano Gate SAR station and handed over to paramedics.

Martin Colwell with Lions Bay Search and Rescue tells 1130 NewsRadio they found the hiker in rough condition.

“He was very shaken — upset. Very worried. He said, ‘I’m bleeding. I’ve got cuts on my forehead.’,” said Colwell.

He says the man is lucky to be alive.

“He could so easily have gone right to the bottom of that north east face,” said Colwell.

He says the hiker was in a very “perilous position,” on an extremely steep hill, where he stayed for nearly two hours until the rescue.

“As is often the case, the long weekend was a busy one,” NSR said.

—With files from Michael Williams