'I don't know if he would've survived the night:' Crews rescue injured paraglider near Lions Bay
A 30-year-old man who suffered serious injuries after crashing into dense, steep terrain near Lions Bay was rescued by helicopter Sunday.
Dale Weidman, a search manager with North Shore Rescue, was part of the team that was called in around 4:30 p.m. for reports that a man's parachute was tangled in the trees near Tunnel Bluffs.
"I don't know if he would've survived the night," Weidman told CTV News, noting that the temperature dropped to -6C.
"He was definitely in a dire predicament. Major injury to his left leg, broken femur."
With the help of night vision, the team was able to find and extract the man via helicopter so he could be transported to Lions Gate Hospital.
One Vancouver man whose has paraglided off Tunnel Bluffs describes the route as challenging and not meant for the faint of heart.
"It's a little frightening," said Jason Neufeld, who posted this video of his jump to YouTube. "There's no room for error."
He says it was his first and last jump in the area.
"I know other people that have jumped off that spot, same as in my video, and they also avoid it."
Weidman says the injured paraglider was able to use his smartphone to call for help.
At around the same time, crews were called to a hiker on the Howe Sound Crest Trail who suffered a back injury and was stranded between St. Marks and Mt. Strachan. Both rescues required hoist operations and featured members from both North Shore Rescue and Lions Bay Search and Rescue.
Despite a busy Sunday, crews say it's been a relatively quiet winter season so far.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to squash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
A subset of Alzheimer's cases may be caused by two copies of a single gene, new research shows
For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer’s disease — in people who inherit two copies of a worrisome gene.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Trudeau Liberals to unveil new bill Monday aimed at countering foreign interference
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be tabling legislation on Monday aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Federal officials have scheduled a technical briefing on the incoming bill for Monday afternoon.