North Shore Rescue reminds hikers to research trails after saving 2 unprepared tourists

Search and rescue volunteers hike through the Grouse backcountry on Sunday to rescue a stranded tourist. (Courtesy: North Shore Rescue/Facebook)

Search and rescue volunteers are reminding hikers to do their research and bring the right equipment after saving two tourists who found themselves in dangerous situations on North Shore mountains.

The first unprepared hiker was found in the Seymour backcountry on Thursday, and the second in the Grouse backcountry on Sunday. Both were visiting from overseas and the rescues were “virtually identical,” North Shore Rescue says.

In the Thursday incident, NSR said its helicopter team happened to be training nearby so rescuers were able to reach the stranded hiker on Rector Peak quickly.

“This individual, a visitor from overseas, had seen a route noted on an online hiking app and decided to try it,” reads a social media post from NSR. “Unfortunately, he seriously underestimated the difficulty of what was required—an unofficial trail that is essentially full mountaineering conditions in the current season.”

After around eight hours of hiking, the man was soaking wet and hypothermic as the sun set, and he was luckily able to call 911.

“There is no guarantee of cell service in the backcountry, especially as far back as this subject was. He was extremely fortunate to be able to get a signal and be able to call 911 for help,” the post reads. “Had the subject not been able to get a call out for help, it is doubtful that he would have survived the night.”

The team said the individual had some hiking gear, but it was not adequate for the snowy and cold conditions on the mountain. They added he was using an app on his phone to navigate the non-existent trail, which drained the battery life.

“This is why we always recommend that recreationalists carry an external battery pack for their cell, and not rely on it exclusively for navigation,” NSR said.

On Sunday, NSR hiked in deep snow for several hours to get to another tourist stranded on Goat Ridge.

Volunteers said he decided to combine two routes he found on a mapping app, Kennedy Falls and Goat Mountain.

“Had he done any research beyond looking at the app, he would have realized that there is no trail - and not even a route - between the two. It is very, very rough bushwacking, combined with extremely steep stretches and cliffs,” a second post from NSR reads.

That hiker also ended up wet, cold and exhausted as the sky got dark. He was also fortunate to be able to call 911 with little signal and dwindling battery life.

“He was staying in temporary accommodation and took the bus to Grouse. No one knew where he was or what time he was expected back. Had the subject not been able to get a call out for help, his situation would have been much more dire,” NSR said.

The hiker was wearing regular runners and cotton pants and shirt, which left his clothing “wet, caked in snow and freezing,” according to NSR.

“This individual was not even expecting to see snow on his hike, underlying the lack of adequate research and preparation he had done,” they wrote.

The rescue team reminded anyone going into the backcountry to carry the 10 essential pieces of gear and always practice the “Three T’s,” trip planning, training and taking the essentials.

“As a reminder, we share these comments not to shame (neither NSR nor any other SAR team out there supports charging/fining for rescues) but to educate, in hopes that these comments will prevent future situations,” NSR added.