Legally blind hiker rescued from Lions after getting lost
Rescuers say hiker with limited eyesight was well up trail in area not suited to hiking at this time of year
Rescue officials are warning people not to go hiking high up in the mountains after saving the life of a hiker with limited eyesight who got lost in poor weather on Saturday.
The hiker, whose name hasn't been released, became stranded between the Lions after setting up camp overnight.
Lions Bay Search & Rescue found him on the ridge of a steep incline after sending three search teams and a helicopter to look for the man, who is in his early 30s and from the Lower Mainland.
"This young man's cellphone was getting low on power and if he hadn't managed to get a call out to 911 this could have been a far more serious operation," said Martin Colwell, search manager for Lions Bay Search & Rescue.
Treacherous conditions
The man who had set out to hike the Howe Sound Crest Trail was cold, lost and had run out of water. He called 911 as the weather began taking a turn for the worse.
North Shore Rescue turned the call over to Lions Bay Search & Rescue.
After bringing him out, rescue officials said the man appeared to be in good shape.
Colwell said even for someone with good eyesight, the area is too high up to be suitable for hiking this time of year.
"Anyone travelling alone is in great risk around here in this terrain," Colwell said, noting the ridge was covered in cloud and that there had been bad weather.
Doug Pope, search manager with North Shore Rescue, said the trail is a difficult summer hike.
"Although it's warm down here in the city it's still cold" in the mountains, Pope said, adding that conditions at this time of year make the hike treacherous.
"There are snow patches on ridges and if you slip you can fall 1,000 feet to your death," he said.
"People should really wait until the snow is completely gone."
Pope recommended people not hike alone and tell others where they're going and when they expect to return.
