VANCOUVER -- Three hikers were rescued by search teams on Sunday evening after getting lost on a snowy North Shore mountain trail.

North Shore Rescue says three hikers got lost at about 4:30 p.m., shortly after sunset, on Mount Fromme. 

The three – all American exchange students studying at the University of British Columbia – were unprepared, the rescue crew said, and didn't have proper footwear for the snow. One of the hikers was even wearing shorts. 

"Appropriate footwear for this time of year in the mountains means proper hiking boots," NSR said in a Facebook post.

One of the individuals twisted their ankle, but was able to limp out with the help of rescue team members. 

By 10 p.m. all three had been brought out safely.

"Though our subjects were in many ways ill-prepared, they made some key decisions correctly," NSR's Facebook post says.

"First, they left a trip plan with an external party. Second, once they made contact with emergency services, they stayed put, which allowed us to find them efficiently." 

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Nafeesa Karim