A North Vancouver hiker had an unscheduled stay in the forest last week after a stumble in the darkness left him stranded near Seymour Lake.
The accident happened while the man and four companions were on an excursion up the Seymour Valley Oct. 4.
The group had set out from Rice Lake at around 10 a.m., according to rescuers, before abandoning their bikes near the north end of the valley and heading up Coliseum Mountain on foot.
They made it to the peak, but were only about halfway down when the light started to fail. As they made their way through the darkness, with only two lights between them, one member set a foot down badly and rolled an ankle.
With the man unable to continue on his own, the hikers called 9-1-1.
The call was passed on to members of North Shore Rescue, who reached the group at about midnight.
Two volunteers stayed at the site to set up camp and tend to the victim while the rest of the team hiked the others out.
A helicopter reached the area at about 7: 30 a.m. and flew the man to safety.
"This is a classic example of the type of calls we start to see in the fall," said search manager Douglas Pope. "This group didn't plan well for the amount of daylight; they took on a long and difficult hike, and started too late in the day."
Before setting out into the woods, even for a short excursion, hikers should ensure they have all 10 essentials listed on the NSR site - including a reliable light source, said Pope.
For more information, visit northshorerescue.com.
