Search and rescue volunteers are reminding hikers to be prepared for alpine conditions after they helped a man who got lost in the mountains of North Vancouver on Sunday. North Shore Rescue says the hiker had low cellphone battery and poor service when he called for help, but luckily they and police got a location reading, albeit with a relatively poor range of four kilometres—and right before his phone died. The hiker was headed for Norvan Falls in the Lynn Headwaters area, but got confused and ended up “a few hours” beyond that, on the trail leading to Paton Peak from the Coliseum Mountain ridge, according to rescuers. A Talon Helicopter spotted the man after an extensive search, which was made difficult due to the fact the hiker was dressed in dark clothes and didn’t have a light source. “When he called 911 for help, he was in such limited cell reception that communication was difficult, and the usual avenues that SAR/police use to locate a cell phone were rather limited. It is fortunate that he was able to get a (partial) call out, as no one would have had any idea where he was,” NSR wrote in a social media post. The organization said adequate route planning and having a friend with knowledge of his whereabouts to call authorities would have helped in the situation. NSR also reminds hikers that it’s now winter in the mountains. “Cold temperatures and snow are now all but guaranteed. Our subject here was not adequately prepared for weather and trial conditions he encountered, which would have made his wait for rescue very unpleasant (and would have surely lead to hypothermia, if not worse, had we not been able to locate him as we did),” the post reads. “Those now venturing into the outdoors should bear this in mind and pack appropriately.”
