A volunteer from North Shore Rescue is scheduled to get an MRI after injuring his knee in steep terrain helping an unprepared hiker Wednesday night.
It's the third rescue this week for the volunteers, who have been deployed after receiving a call for help from outdoor enthusiasts who have found themselves lost or stranded.
In the latest case, a woman set out on a hike alone without leaving a detailed plan, and was not prepared for the winter conditions in the back country.
To make matters worse, the Hanes Valley Trail she was on behind Grouse Mountain is also currently closed.
North Shore Rescue says the woman lost the trail coming through Crown Pass, which is still covered in snow. The trail would normally lead her back to the Grouse Mountain resort area.
Instead, she wound up in a drainage ditch.
The team was deployed after she was able to text her boyfriend, who alerted police.
When the team brought the woman back in late last night, one of the volunteers, a UBC professor, had a visible limp and was using hiking poles to support his weight.
Search leader Mike Danks says it appears the volunteer suffered soft tissue damage.
The hiker, who identified herself as Anne, said she was "super grateful" to the team who rescued her.
"They really put in a lot of manpower to rescue me. And yeah, don't go hiking by yourself. It's not a good idea."
Earlier this week, North Shore Rescue issued a stern warning for hikers to be prepared in the wake of two "frustrating" cases.
In both cases, the hikers didn’t let anyone know where they were going, and searchers say both situations were likely preventable.
