North Shore rescuers had a much whiter Christmas than they had been hoping for this week when they were called out Dec. 25 to pluck a skier from a snowstorm on Mount Seymour.
The volunteers were called away from family and friends at about 3 p.m. when the North Vancouver resort alerted them to a backcountry skier in distress. The 46-year-old had apparently set out from the ski area earlier in the day to explore the un-groomed trails on the back of the mountain.
The weather had quickly worsened, however, and as the wind picked up and snow began to fall heavily, the man lost his way, wandering north from his planned route. After two hours lost, the victim phoned for help. A friend passed the call on to Seymour, who alerted North Shore Rescue.
The volunteers dispatched a three-member team on skis to track the lost man down. They found him disoriented but in good condition some distance from the marked track near the mountains first peak. The rescuers led him back to safety and wrapped up the call by about 6 p.m.
We wanted to get home for dinner, said team leader Tim Jones, laughing. There was a high motivation to get this call done quickly.
The incident should serve as a reminder to outdoor enthusiasts to prepare carefully before entering the backcountry, he said. While the victim in this case was well equipped with a cellphone, importantly he had apparently disregarded weather forecasts and had set out without a map, compass or GPS unit.
In whiteout conditions, you can go right over your own track; you can go in a 360-degree circle, said Jones. Its very disorienting.
The efforts of the rescuers were also complicated by a friend of the victim who had attempted to follow rescuers in without proper equipment, he added.
He was a very nice fellow, but he created an issue for us, said Jones. This is a typical thing we want people to avoid doing.
A second team had to peel off to escort the second man back out of the area, he said.
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