For the second time in a few days improper footwear was the likely culprit behind a North Shore Rescue call-out, this time on Crown Mountain.
North Shore Rescue was contacted at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday with a report that an injured 20-year-old Surrey woman and her friend were stuck on the mountain.
“We put four members up into the helicopter and did a reconnaissance of the area and we located her quite quickly, about 1,250 metres on Crown Mountain, a little ways below the summit,” said North Shore Rescue search manager Doug Pope.
He said when rescuers located the hiker, they ascertained she had twisted her ankle. “This one was quite severe. We suspect it was a fracture. She was non-weight bearing and she wasn’t going anywhere under the current conditions.”
Much like Saturday’s Eagle Bluffs rescue, where two women in their early 20s were stranded after one of the pair appeared to have sprained her ankle, improper footwear was the likely cause for the Crown Mountain hiker to lose her footing. “For that type of climb, it’s a lot of loose rocks, roots and uneven terrain. Street-type runners just don’t cut it,” Pope said.
After locating the injured woman and her friend, North Shore Rescue rigged its helicopter with a 45-metre longline to attend to the pair.
“We splinted her ankle with this boot and put her in a harness and longlined her and the two rescuers back to our Cap SAR base,” a three-kilometre helicopter ride away, Pope said.
While the rescue was successful, Pope stressed the importance of preparing for what one might need “if something goes wrong rather than if everything goes right” when hiking.
The injured woman was wearing running shoes and was carrying a backpack that didn’t contain the necessary provisions for such a challenging excursion, he added.
“Crown Mountain’s a very difficult hike. It’s really a light mountaineering exercise to climb Crown Mountain, and it’s not really to be underestimated, and frankly these two underestimated the type of hike they were getting themselves into. They were not prepared,” he said.
He added that by the time North Shore Rescue reached the pair they were out of food and water and did not have a light. “(Even) if she was able to kind of hobble out, they would’ve got into darkness.”
Pope said the organization was thankful that two bystanders attended to the injured woman by providing first aid while North Shore Rescue was en route. The bystanders were then able to hike the friend out as the woman was helicoptered away.
Pope recommends that people research their hike before setting out, ensure they’re physically prepared for it, and, of course, carry the proper gear, such as North Shore Rescue’s suggested list of 10 essential items.
“What I told the girl was not to give up hiking. Once she heals by all means continue enjoying the outdoors – but do some preparation first,” he said.
