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Skier stuck overnight in B.C.'s Suicide Gully hikes out with help from local search and rescue group

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Local search and rescue teams performed what some would call a Christmas miracle, saving a skier who ended up stranded on a North Vancouver mountain.

North Shore Rescue search manager Scott Merriman told CTV News Saturday that his teams were able to bring the man to safety after he spent Friday night trapped inside Suicide Gully on Mount Seymour.

“He was skiing with his family who were snowshoeing just up to Brockton Point, they all turned around and on the way down I guess he must have lost his way and ended up down into Suicide Gully,” said Merriman.

The family contacted Mt. Seymour’s ski patrol team when the man did not pass them on the way down.

NSR members were brought in shortly after to help find the man, but bad weather conditions made their rescue mission a little tricky.

”Because of the avalanche conditions we weren’t actually able to get down into Suicide Gully yesterday,” explained Merriman.

However, NSR members stayed on higher ground Friday evening managing to make voice contact with the man around 10 p.m.

“Even though we were quite far away, the field team was able to talk to him pretty well and he actually held up his cellphone and they could see him down in Suicide Gulley,” said Merriman.

Bad weather Friday night and Saturday morning didn’t allow for the search and rescue team to fly the man out, instead they opted to go by foot to bring him back to safety on Saturday morning.

“A team went in this morning via ground since the weather is still isn’t very good for flying,” Merriman explained. “They went in on skis and snowshoes and found him.”

Apart from being cold through the night, Merriman said the man is currently “in good shape” and hiked himself out along with the help of the NSR team on Saturday.

No one else was injured in the incident.

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