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.