District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services members rescued a 26-year-old North Shore man after a potentially perilous fall in Lynn Canyon, Sunday.
“It was an individual who was cliff jumping and who had sustained a head injury,” said assistant fire chief Brian Hutchinson. “He lost his footing while preparing to jump and struck his head on the rocks on the way down before entering the water. Most likely, alcohol was involved.”
The man’s friends pulled him to the canyon’s edge but rescuers were concerned he’d suffered a spinal injury.
“We conducted a full spinal precautions rescue. We put in place a rope system to raise the patient to the trail where we were able to hand the patient off to B.C. (Ambulance Service),” Hutchinson said.
It continues to be a busy summer for the sound of sirens at the canyon, with more than 90 trail and creek rescues for district firefighters this season. The district has launched a new awareness campaign aimed at persuading thrill seekers not to jump, but for some, the message doesn’t appear to be getting through.
“That summarizes, I think, pretty much the majority of the calls that we go to down there. Our guys are pretty proficient at this. I hate to say it, but it is a routine incident for our members,” Hutchinson said.
