A woman was the unexpected recipient of a helicopter ride Saturday after a presumed ankle sprain on a trail on Cypress Mountain.
A woman and her friend, both in their early 20s, were hiking the Eagle Bluffs trail when one of the pair injured her ankle and found she was unable to put weight on her foot, explained North Shore Rescue team leader Mike Danks.
“Probably a contributing factor to that was wearing low-cut runners when you’re going on a hike like that,” Danks said. “We really try to stress to people to wear hiking boots.”
At around 10 a.m. Saturday, North Shore Rescue got the call that something was happening on Cypress Mountain.
Although Eagle Bluffs is accessible by foot, the two women were beyond the 1,000-metre mark of the trail and based on their location it was determined a helicopter would be needed, Danks said.
Rescue team members took the helicopter up to a clearing near the injured woman and her friend and then proceeded to hike down to where they were located.
“From there, they packaged her ankle in that walking splint and they were able to, with some help from some bystanders, move her into an area where they would be able to longline her out,” he said.
A 150-foot line was then suspended from the hovering helicopter that was able to lift the injured woman and two rescuers along the trail and into the parking lot where an ambulance was waiting.
Danks said the two women were “distressed with the situation but incredibly grateful of the medical response.”
He added that the rescue organization recommends always hiking with shoes that have adequate ankle support.
North Shore Rescue’s list of the 10 essentials for outdoor or backcountry exploration, such as bringing lights, extra clothing and navigation devices, can be found at northshorerescue.com/education/what-to-bring.
