A hiker in his 60s died Wednesday evening after collapsing near the halfway point of the Grouse Grind, according to North Shore Rescue team leader Mike Danks.
The hiker was making his way up Grouse Grind with a group of friends when he sat down to rest at about 8 p.m., according to North Vancouver RCMP spokesman Cpl. Richard De Jong. The man went into cardiac arrest shortly afterward.
A North Shore Rescue volunteer was also on his way up the 2,800-step staircase when he saw the man fall, noted Danks.
After calling 911, the volunteer dialed North Shore Rescue, who immediately scrambled a helicopter and put together a medical crew including an emergency room doctor and nurse.
“We luckily had a helicopter very close by at the time,” Danks said.
Working closely with the District of North Vancouver Fire Department and B.C. Ambulance Service, North Shore Rescue long-lined in the doctor and nurse as well as medical equipment.
After the doctor tried to stabilize the patient for about 25 minutes, North Shore Rescue long-lined the hiker to a waiting ambulance.
He died within the hour.
The hiker received optimum care, according to Danks, who explained the patient received automated CPR in the helicopter.
While the hiker seemed fit, the event serves as a reminder to take Mother Nature’s Stairmaster seriously, Danks noted.
“We highly recommend that you start out with easy to moderate hikes and work your way up,” he said. “The Grouse Grind is not a walk in the park.”
