By Canadian Press

Overseas hikers rescued in B.C. relied on online app: rescue group

Dec 5, 2024 | 11:46 AM

NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C. — The search and rescue organization for Metro Vancouver’s North Shore mountains says its teams recently rescued two international visitors who became stranded after relying on online hiking apps without doing further research.

A statement on social media by North Shore Rescue says the first call last Thursday came when a visitor “seriously underestimated the difficulty” of an unofficial trail marked in an online app.

The rescue group says the trail is “essentially full mountaineering conditions” at this time of year, and the man was able to make a 911 call for help after hiking for eight hours that left him “tired, soaked (and) hypothermic” as the sun was setting.

The statement says it’s doubtful the man would have survived the night if he had not been able to make the call, and he’s “extremely fortunate” because there is no guarantee of cellular service in backcountry areas of the North Shore.

A similar call came three days later, when the group says another man visiting from overseas saw two hiking routes on an online app and decided to try to link them, heading into “very rough” bushwhacking terrain with steep cliffs.

North Shore Rescue says both men had not done any further research about their hikes, and anyone heading into the backcountry should follow best practices, including proper route planning and packing essential survival gear.

The group does not provide the name of the app or apps the hikers were using.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024.

The Canadian Press