Body of Vancouver man discovered in Lions Bay, 1 day after he left for hike: RCMP
A 29-year-old Vancouver man who hiked Mount Harvey in Lions Bay was found deceased one day after he went on his solo trek.
In a statement to CTV News, Tu’s brother, Eric, wrote, “I want everyone to know that Michael is our brother, son, devoted Registered Nurse, dedicated Preceptor and Care Management Leader who loved his career. Our family is so touched to hear the care and impact he made while caring for the people of Kiwanis Care Centre and St. Paul’s Hospital.”
Lions Bay Search and Rescue found the remains around 6 p.m. on Thursday, said search manager Martin Colwell.
Colwell said volunteers found Tu’s body about two-thirds down the mountain in an area that suggested he may have taken the wrong turn and gotten off the trail.
“It looks like he had missed the turn in the trail. There's a bunch of turns and one of them is fairly sharp. And he’d missed one of these turns and just got lost in the woods, I think,” he said.
He said there are many cliffs in the lower forested areas where Tu’s body was found.
“When we search through the woods ourselves, we're always pretty scared of stepping over a log and suddenly, there's a cliff below us. It’s high risk for ground searchers when they go through the steep terrain. You never know where the next cliff really is,” he said.
"These are essentially invisible cliffs and you almost don't see until you're right on top of it. I think it was just a very unfortunate accident.”
He said Tu seemed well-prepared with good equipment but there is always a high risk of getting lost when hiking solo.
Sea to Sky RCMP issued a public plea for help finding Tu on Thursday morning, one day after they say the 29-year-old went hiking in Lions Bay, a village between West Vancouver and Squamish.
Police confirmed Friday afternoon that Tu’s body was found near the peak of Mount Harvey, and believe he died accidentally, “succumbing to his undisclosed injuries.”
“Unfortunately, this search did not have the outcome we were hoping for, and we are heartbroken for the man's family,” Sea to Sky RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Angela Kermer wrote in a statement.
She says police have no plans to investigate suspicious or criminal activity.
Mounties are thanking community volunteers who helped search for Tu, as well as Lions Bay Search and Rescue.
Colwell said search and rescue teams from Squamish, the North Shore, the Sunshine Coast and Coquitlam also assisted.
“We thank everyone for their effort, time, and energy working endlessly to help our family while being away from theirs. We would like a donation to be made to any of the above organizations,” Tu’s brother wrote in the statement.
Tu’s social media is full of photos from previous hiking adventures.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.