After 3 rescues in 2 days, North Shore Rescue busy season begins

[James holden]

After 3 rescues in 2 days, North Shore Rescue busy season begins – See more at: http://www.nsnews.com/news/after-3-rescues-in-2-days-north-shore-rescue-busy-season-begins-1.1936736

“For sure, this is the start of our summer busy season,” said Doug Pope, NSR search manager, after the team carried out three rescues in two days. “People are starting to go outdoors and hike the North Shore Mountains more. We get busier because people get into trouble back there.”

more at link ….

[Mark Parry]

So this is in Vancouver Canada right?

There are at least 6 separate areas called "north shore" within 150 miles of me. They all also have wilderness and rescues (mostly ocean rescue). Glad to see this isn't a late rainy season on Kauai/Kalalau Trail ;)

[James holden]

hi mark

just to clarify, this is only the north shore of vancouver … it does not include the eastern areas such as coquitlam, chilliwack, nor the squamish/whister area …

basically if you need to be rescued by NSR .. you might be well within the sight of the city usually … they are often the busiest SAR organization in BC and possibly canada

note that this isnt the first "hat trick" that NSR has done this year …

http://www.nsnews.com/news/north-shore-rescue-scores-hat-trick-3-rescues-in-3-days-1.1779606

It’s being called the hat trick by North Shore Rescue.

The volunteer team carried out three highly technical rescues from Crown Mountain in the North Shore backcountry in three days.

The drama started unfolding around 2 p.m. Saturday when B.C. Ambulance Service alerted the team to an injured hiker near the summit of Crown Mountain. Some North Shore Rescue members happened to be hiking on Grouse at the time and started making their way towards the Crown summit while search managers called in a helicopter. When they arrived they found a 61-year-old Richmond man who had slipped on a patch of snow and slid into a tree.

“He was on his way to a 1,000-foot drop and the last thing that saved him was that tree,” said Doug Pope, search manager. “He sustained an arm injury from hitting the tree but the tree saved his life.”

The team was pressed into service again at 9 p.m. Sunday when police alerted them to two backcountry adventurers who were overdue from an attempt to climb Crown’s northeast couloir.

“They couldn’t go up any further. They were off route and stuck on this ledge about 100 metres below the summit. There wasn’t much our ground team could do in the dark, safely, to assist, but they were secure on the rock,” Pope said.

At first light Monday, North Shore Rescue members arranged for a Talon helicopter and long-line team to pluck the cold but uninjured hikers off the ledge, one at a time.
“It was about -5 C and the winds were gusting so they weren’t well prepared for spending the night out on the rock,” Pope said.

“I’ve been hiking that mountain for 30 years and I’ve never seen it that busy, even in the summertime. It was really busy and the majority of people weren’t prepared for the conditions. They were probably more appropriately dressed for a hot yoga class than technical mountain hike,” he said.

more at link …

the rescues in the other metro and surrounding areas close to vancouver, theres likely just as many as well

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