North Shore Medevac Averts ‘Quite A Bad Situation’

A hiker stuck on North Vancouver’s Mt. Seymour was very lucky to have a cell signal to make a call that enabled him to be rescued after sustaining a lower body injury that prevented him from moving further. North Shore Rescue (NSR), based in North Vancouver, saved the ill-equipped man from what rescuers called potentially “quite a bad situation.”

North Shore Rescue said crews were called out in the morning of Monday, September 15, to respond to a medical rescue situation on the Elsay Lake Trail on Mt. Seymour. The route the hiker was on is described by the AllTrails website as “a challenging and technical day or multi-day hike.”

Apparently the hiker was descending from Pump Peak when he became disoriented and inadvertently wound up on the Elsay Lake Trail. At some point on that trail his injury occurred, though no details were available, and he was unable to continue.

NSR said in a social media post, ““Very fortunately, he had cell reception and was able to get a 911 call out.”

A helicopter was dispatched but heavy clouds prevented the helo from getting to the area, and searchers on foot were also deployed. When rescuers got to the individual, they found that he had “essentially no gear.”  When the clouds cleared, the helicopter was able to hoist the hiker and transport him to the Capilano Search and Rescue Station where he was cared for by paramedics.

The hiker was from out of town and staying at an Airbnb, with no local contacts who knew he was hiking.

NSR’s post continued, “Had he not been able to get a 911 call out, it would have likely taken an extended period of time before anyone knew he was missing, and it would have likely been a lengthy search for us to find him once the alarm was eventually raised.

“If our helicopter hadn’t been able to reach him, (he) would have likely been hypothermic by the time our ground crews could get on scene. Had he needed to spend an extended period in the wilderness while lost and immobilized…he would have been in quite a bad situation.”

North Shore Rescue reminds the public that anyone going into the backcountry should always bring the “10 essentials” as well as leave behind a detailed trip plan. With no intention of demeaning anyone, NSR mentions the “lessons learned” as simply a way to prevent similar incidents in the future.

FMI:  www.northshorerescue.com/