VANCOUVER -- A base jumper who had jumped off the Stawamus Chief has been rescued and sent to hospital with minor injuries.
The call came in shortly before 3:50 p.m., according to BC EHS, and Squamish Search and Rescue flew to the top of the mountain and began a rope rescue effort after nightfall Saturday evening.
“(An) approximately 30-year-old male had jumped off the chief and got caught. His sail got caught and he ended up hitting the face of the Chief and his sail ended up getting hung around a tree,” said BJ Chute of Squamish Search and Rescue.
Squamish Search and Rescue told CTV News Vancouver the man struck the mountain's west face, also known as the Grand Wall. He was then able to tie himself to another tree and call for rescue.
“We were able to put him in a harness and secure him and lower him to the ground where he was walked out and turned over to paramedics,” Chute said.
“This is a good outcome, this gentleman was able to walk out the trail and meet the paramedics. Although he is injured, he’s not significantly injured and this could have been a catastrophic injury,” Chute added.
After the man’s call for help, roughly 20 volunteer rescuers were flown by helicopter to the mountain's summit before sunset, and they began staging a rope rescue that Chute had said would take several hours to complete.
The rescue was "very technical" and the darkness made it especially challenging. That said, crews are trained and prepared to handle rescues of this type, Chute said.
Squamish RCMP and BC Emergency Health Services also responded to the scene. A spokesperson for BC EHS said two paramedic crews were staged at the base of the mountain and ready to assist with any injuries the man may have sustained during the incident.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Tessa Vikander.
Correction:
Nov. 22: This article has been updated from a previous version that identified the man as a paraglider. It has been updated to reflect that search and rescue crews identified him as a base jumper.
