Snowboarder rescued from 'treacherous' terrain on Grouse Mountain after going out of bounds

A snowboarder was rescued by helicopter Monday after getting stuck on a cliff in an out-of-bounds area of Grouse Mountain.

The 52-year-old man had just dropped his daughter off at ski school and was on his first run of the day when he said he got lost in the fog, North Shore Rescue search manager Allan McMordie said.

He skied through some trees and ended up on the west side of the ski resort down a gully called Drifter Creek.

The man stopped when he realized he was in a bad situation, McMordie said.

If he had gone just five metres further, he could have fallen through a "very dangerous" snow bridge into a creek and been badly injured — or worse, McMordie said.  

"He missed some obvious signs that he was not on a ski run," the search manager said. "He was lucky that he stopped where he was and didn't go any further."

The man's phone was almost dead, McMordie said, but he managed to call for help at around 12:30 p.m. PT.

A break in the weather allowed rescuers to arrive in a helicopter. The snowpack was so dangerous that rescuers stayed hooked to the long line from the helicopter as they attached a harness to the man to lift him out, McMordie said. 

The man was not injured, but his snowboard was left behind.

'It's pretty unforgiving'

North Shore Rescue team leader Mike Danks said it's a reminder to all skiers and snowboarders to be aware of where they are on the mountain and keep cellphones charged.

Anyone heading into the backcountry should carry avalanche gear, Danks added.

Those unfamiliar with the mountain should carry a map, he said. If you end up in terrain that doesn't feel safe, he recommends stopping and calling for help instead of continuing to descend.

"Stay in bounds," he said. "He somehow managed to get way outside of the boundaries into very steep and treacherous terrain.

"On the North Shore mountains, it's pretty unforgiving once you get into the gully systems."