'Tom saved a life': Helipad built in memory of British tourist used in North Shore rescue

When their son went missing while hiking in the North Shore mountains in December 2013, Tom Billings' parents flew from the U.K. to Metro Vancouver to aid in the extensive search.

The 22-year-old’s remains were eventually found near Cypress Mountain Resort in May 2016. Through their grief, Martin and Laura Billings wanted to give back to North Shore Rescue crews, who had spent hundreds of hours looking for their son.

“We determined the best way to do that was to create a cache and a helipad in the area that Tom passed away, to prevent others from meeting that same fate,” said NSR search leader Mike Danks.

Thanks to a generous donation from the Billings family, a small shelter and helipad were constructed in a perilous spot on the west side of Mount Strachan.

“The reason we picked the area specifically was because just below that is a set of cliff bands that we have seen a number of people fall to their deaths from,” said Danks. “This was a big undertaking for us. We had to work with BC Parks, we had to work with First Nations to get approval to do it, but everyone believed in it.”

On Monday, NSR received a call that a 16-year-old snowboarder was at the cache and had phoned 911.

“He said he’s at a helipad and we’re like, 'We know where that is, no problem, we will come and get you,'” said NSR search leader Jim Loree.

On the door of the shelter, the lost teen would have seen a photo of Tom Billings, a quote from his family, and instructions to call for help and wait for rescue.

“It’s really there to stop people, as one final effort to stop people from going further, and it worked perfectly in this case,” said Loree.

The door of the shelter includes a photo of Tom Billings, a quote from his family, and instructions to call for help and wait for rescue. (North Shore Rescue)

“I think it’s really important for the young man to get to this cache and to see Tom’s photo and to see this is someone unfortunately that did not survive, but they have given back. His family has given back because they want to make a difference for this community and keep others safe,” said Danks.

The snowboarder was successfully airlifted off the mountain by a chopper that landed on the helipad.

“He returned to his family. He was very lucky, and it’s because that cache was in place,” Danks said.

Loree believes if the cache and helipad weren’t there, it’s possible the snowboarder would have gone over the cliff and died.

“It’s something Tom’s family can be really proud of and look back at his legacy and say, 'Look, by paying it forward, we are saving other people’s lives,'” said Loree.

After the rescue, Danks said his thoughts were with Billings' parents:

“I wanted to tell Martin and Laura that Tom saved a life today. And that’s what it’s really about. I know it’s going to give them some relief to know that Tom made a difference.”  

Tom Billings is seen in this file photo. His parents made a donation to North Shore Rescue to create a helipad and cache in his memory.