Crews resume search for missing hiker in Grouse Mountain backcountry

Rescue crews are resuming their search for a man in the North Shore Mountains who's been missing since Tuesday.

Carl Couture, 24, was last seen near his home in Vancouver's West End on Halloween morning. Police say he's considered to be a missing hiker.

North Shore Rescue (NSR) began searching for him in the Hanes Valley near Grouse Mountain on Friday, but suspended their search at nightfall.

Crews from Lions Bay, Ridge Meadows, Coquitlam and Surrey joined the search when it restarted Saturday at dawn, flying over the area in helicopters with infrared heat cameras.

NSR leader Mike Danks said footage from Grouse Mountain shows Couture heading for the backcountry around 12:15 p.m. on the day he disappeared.

"From the information we have so far, he was not a very experienced hiker but he had done a lot of research in the past week on the Grouse Mountain area," Danks said.

"The time and distance travelled from the point last seen would put him near the Hanes Valley cache."

The concern, Danks said, is that Couture was not carrying overnight gear or a headlamp.

"The big challenge for him is exposure, hypothermia and the fact that he did not have a light source — we're obviously doing everything we can to locate him as quickly as possible," the search leader said.

"Our fingers are crossed ... but we are also taking into consideration that he may not be responsive at this time."

Vancouver police said Couture recently moved to Vancouver from Eastern Canada and hasn't shown up for work or contacted friends or family since Tuesday, which is out of character.

The North Shore Mountains saw a dusting of snow this week and several backcountry routes on Grouse Mountain have since been closed due to hazardous conditions. However, Danks said there's no snow in the search area.

Couture is described as white, 6 feet, two inches, 165 pounds, with blonde hair and brown eyes. He also wears glasses.