When the trail is cold and a missing hiker's footprints fill with snow, a strategically placed camera could be invaluable, according to Tim Jones, team leader with North Shore Rescue.
NSR , the RC MP, Metro Vancouver, the North Shore Emergency Management Office and the District of North Vancouver are in preliminary talks about installing backcountry cameras at Lynn Canyon and Lynn Headwaters, according to district Mayor Richard Walton.
"I don't think it's ever been suggested by anyone before," Walton said.
Jones said he is unaware of any search and rescue squad using a similar system.
If the proposition is feasible, it will have the backing of district council, according to Walton.
The need for cameras came into focus following the search for lost tourist Tom Billings, 22.
"If we had those cameras in place in (Lynn) Headwaters, we would've seen him coming through," Jones said.
The installation could be complicated by privacy issues, according to Walton.
"A lot of people go up in the woods for solace and the idea that they're being filmed when they're heading up the trail to get away from humanity is not always appealing," he said. "We don't want to spend a lot of time and money and find that some agency challenges under privacy laws."
There should be no legal problems with putting cameras on district land, according to Coun. Mike Little, who also serves as NSE MO chairman.
"There are webcams all over the place in public spaces and tourist destinations, the question is recording and who has access to the recordings," Little said.
While the recordings would likely be limited to the district's "trusted agencies," Little said there may be other applications.
"I would actually like the public to be able to see how busy it is at Lynn Headwaters and how busy it is at the suspension bridge," he said.
Because the bridge at Lynn Headwaters falls under Metro Vancouver's jurisdiction, Little said council will likely focus on Lynn Canyon first.
Rescuers are exceedingly familiar with the terrain, according to Jones.
"We spend an inordinate amount of time involved in searches in those areas," he said.
Video footage also could have helped in the case of Joan Warren, according to Jones.
The 76-year-old woman with dementia wandered from her Lynn Valley care home and was later found dead by a hiker near Lynn Canyon's twin falls.
"We were right on top of her, too. That was the maddening part about it," he said.
Cameras could be crucial in narrowing a search area as well as providing searchers with small but critical details, according to Little.
"Did they turn left when they got to the end of the suspension bridge? Did they turn right? A verification of what they were wearing. These things all help (NSR ) narrow down the scope of a search," he said.
While motion-activated wilderness cameras might be useful, Little said he would opt for wireless technology with remoteviewing capability, allowing rescuers to access footage from anywhere in the backcountry.
