Search and rescue staff rescued a man from a steep, dangerous area above a B.C. highway over the weekend and are urging hikers to follow established trails when traversing mountainous terrain. Lions Bay Search and Rescue said members were called to a stretch of Highway 99 near Horseshoe Bay on Friday night to assist a hiker stranded roughly 100 metres above the road. LBSAR members said the hiker parked his vehicle on the shoulder of Highway 99 to attempt a route through Montizambert Creek, where there is no hiking trail, and up to Bowen Lookout with a headlamp and improper footwear. He called for help at around 7 p.m., just after sundown, after realizing he could no longer make it to the lookout and turning around. The hiker slipped and fell into “extremely challenging terrain” near Strip Creek, according to LBSAR. He had fallen into water and was getting cold, and reaching him would be “anything but straightforward,” LBSAR noted. A team of 14 rescuers responded and troubleshot rescue options—a helicopter extraction would have been difficult because power lines ran above and below the area, and while he was only 100 metres from the road, that distance was made up of steep cliff walls. The rescue team split in half to investigate different extraction routes—the first slowly traversed terrain on the north side of Montizambert Creek, while the second searched for a route directly up from the highway. The second group found trees they could use as anchors and eventually a viable route through the cliffs. They climbed until they reached the hiker. “A fixed rope was established, allowing additional rescuers to ascend with equipment and supplies for the subject. The team then constructed a rope rescue system and lowered the subject down the cliff with an accompanying rescuer,” LBSAR detailed on social media. The hiker was given warm clothing and a medical assessment, and he declined an ambulance. The extraction was complete by around 2:30 a.m., and volunteers were home a half hour later. Lessons learned Maria Masiar with LBSAR told CTV News that one of the most interesting aspects of this rescue was how close the hiker was to the highway, but how “technically challenging it was to reach him.” “He could hear the highway and even see the rescue team, but the terrain between him and safety was impassable without technical rescue equipment. At one point, he even requested a fire truck with a ladder to reach him. Unfortunately, that wasn’t a viable option given the steep cliffs, difficult access, and power lines running above and below his location,” she said. Masiar urged hikers aiming for Bowen Lookout to start at Cypress Mountain and follow established hiking trails rather than attempting this route, recommending the same for any hiking destination. “A route that looks straightforward on a map can lead into extremely steep, dangerous and impassable terrain,” she said. “In mountainous terrain, a short distance on a map can be separated by cliffs, waterfalls, and other obstacles.” Masiar also explained that when hikers are lost in the mountains, they should never assume that travelling downhill will lead them to safety. “This hiker fell several times while attempting to descend through the creek, fortunately escaping with only minor injuries,” she said. “Similar falls in our mountains have cost people their lives.”
