Every time North Shore Rescue successfully helps a lost or injured hiker out of the backcountry, the team makes an effort to share publicly what went wrong so everyone can learn from the subject’s mistakes.
But after rescuing three teens on the Howe Sound Crest Trail late Tuesday night, search manager Mike Danks said it is rare that one call has so many lessons to be shared.
The 18-year-olds got lost early in the evening and called 911 before they’d even left the Cypress Mountain ski resort. By the time they responded to messages from Danks, they’d found the trail and said they were planning to press on to St. Mark’s Summit – at least an hour and a half away on foot.
“Based on the time it was in the day and where they were on the trail and what their destination was, it made no sense for them to continue,” he said.
Danks told them it would be much wiser and safer to visit the close-by Bowen Lookout instead, which they agreed to.
“I had this like weird feeling about it,” he said. “We said to these guys, ‘We’re going to keep this open until you guys message us that you’re back at the parking lot and you’re safe.”
They heard nothing until two hours later when the teens called again to say they were lost in the dark after opting to attempting St. Mark’s Summit anyway.
“They really shouldn’t have done that,” Danks said. “They were literally terrified. It was pitch black out. ‘Please, come help us. Hurry up.’”
This time, the teens did the right thing and stayed put. As rescues go, it was easy to send a ground team up to their location, give them warm clothes, fluids and lights – all of which they were lacking – and walk them back out again.
Danks said he does not mean to shame the individual subjects from Tuesday night, but added he wants other inexperienced hikers to be taking notes.
“Make sure you’re familiar with the area. If you if you don’t know that area, bring someone that does,” he said. “Make sure you have ample daylight hours to make it to the destination and back. Bring extra clothing, food and water and a light.”
The best way to not get lost is to use a proper trail app like Gaia or CalTopo, and not Google Maps, which has a habit of sending people down trails that don’t exist, Danks said.
And perhaps, most important, is listening, Danks said.
“If you’re going to call for help, be truthful, be honest, and listen to the direction of the people that … are the experts in the field and who are looking out for your best interests and are trying to reduce the exposure of rescuers to have to go out in the middle of the night.”
On the team’s social media channels, members of the public have been calling for some kind of punishment for the wayward hikers’ string of mistakes. Frustrating as it may have been, Danks said everyone should be happy with the result.
“They did make a lot of mistakes. They’re young. These are life lessons. Nobody got hurt. It was a nice night for our crews to go out, and everything worked out in the end,” he said. “And I truly believe that they won’t make this mistake again. And that’s a positive outcome for us. It really is.”
[email protected]
twitter.com/brentrichter
brentrichter.bsky.social
Want to stay updated on North Vancouver and West Vancouver news? Sign up for our free daily newsletter.
