Two ill-prepared hikers who were rescued from Vancouver's North Shore Mountains had very little to help keep them alive after they became lost in the backcountry.
"They did not have flashlights, they did not have maps, they'd only done some research on the Internet about the trail," North Shore Search and Rescue team leader Allan McMordie told CTV Vancouver. "They had a little bit of extra clothing, but not much. They were very, very cold when we got to them."
Erica Duhaney and Yu Chan Chung, both in their mid-twenties, set out late Monday morning to hike from Lynn Valley to Norvan Falls. The pair decided to extend their hike to Grouse Mountain, not realizing how much elevation there would be on the trail, or that there would be snow.
Chun said the pair got wet and cold, very fast.
"We just got lost," he said.
McMordie said the duo was not familiar with the area.
"They're not very well prepared," he said.
Following the rescue, authorities closed the backcountry trails in Lynn Headwaters.
"The mountains we have in the Vancouver area are pretty rugged and dangerous," Mountain Equipment Co-op backcountry expert Matt Armstrong said. "People get hurt.”
Armstrong said hikers should be prepared with multiple layers of clothing in bright colours for increased visibility.
"When you're in low light or flat light situations – either on top of the mountain or on a glacier, you want to be seen," he said.
With a report from CTV Vancouver
