Michael St. Laurent, 45, was discovered clinging to life in the bush near a Hanes Valley hiking trail by an off-duty member of North Shore Rescue Saturday afternoon. The man was delirious and dehydrated, and was suffering badly from trench foot, having apparently been wandering lost since he set out on a day hike Oct. 13.
It appears St. Laurent had become disoriented and possibly delusional shortly after he started the walk, according to rescuers. He had survived on little more than rainwater throughout his ordeal.
The rescuer sent a companion for help and treated St. Laurent before walking him out as far as she judged was safe. A rescue team met up with the pair near Lynn Creek and set up camp overnight, before arranging for him to be flown out Sunday morning.
"His kidneys had basically shut down," said Tim Jones, team leader with North Shore Rescue. "He was in pretty bad shape."
St. Laurent's vehicle had been discovered abandoned in a parking lot near the base of the Grouse Mountain Skyride the day he vanished. The North Vancouver RCMP launched an investigation and issued a public plea for information, but the limited search that followed, based on a false sighting in the McKay Creek area, failed to locate the missing man.
St. Laurent is expected to make a full recovery.
