Injured North Shore hiker rescued by helicopter on busy weekend for SAR crews
A satellite device likely saved the life of an injured hiker on the North Shore Sunday, according to search and rescue crews who say the warm weather has made for a busy weekend.
North Shore Rescue's Jim Lore says this particular hiker broke his arm and suffered other injuries when he fell down in Wickenden Creek.
The beacon he had allowed him to alert the RCMP who called in the SAR team. A helicopter was dispatched and the hiker was successfully hoisted to safety before an ambulance took him away.
"Fortunately, he had that device," he said. 'It would have been a much different outcome if he didn’t."
In addition to having a reliable way to communicate, Lore says it's important to wear brightly coloured clothing, adding this rescue was complicated because the hiker was effectively camouflaged.
"We had to fly over a few times before we are able to locate him," he toldCTV News.
As the region experiences the year's first blast of hot weather, parking lots at popular hiking destinations like Lynn Valley and Mont Fromme quickly filled up as people ventured onto trails and into the backcountry.
"I think everybody's been anxious to get out into the outdoors with the colder spring we've had. This is our first really nice weather so it's super busy up there, lots of people around," he said adding crews were also called out three times on Saturday.
Lore's key top for staying safe is to be prepared -- which this hiker was.
"Always plan for things to go wrong and you'll be in a lot better position of they do go wrong," he said.
Preparation includes getting familiar with the terrain and the level of experience needed to safely navigate it by doing research ahead of time. It also means telling someone what the plan is.
"Tell people where you're going, that way if you don't show up at least we know where to start looking," Lore said.
Having the right gear is also key.
On the lower parts of the trails, high temperatures mean it's crucial to stay hydrated. At higher elevations, Lore says, it's important to remember there is still snow. Having warm clothes, crampons, and an ice axe are some key ways to be ready for those conditions.
Even with longer days, Lore said a flashlight is a must-have.
More tips on how to prepare for the outdoors are available from Adventure Smart.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.