Crews rescue two climbers stranded on Crown Mountain

NORTH SHORE (NEWS1130) – This morning marked the third rescue in three days on Crown Mountain.

North Shore Rescue rescued two stranded climbers, with a helicopter taking off around 6:30 a.m. It returned after about 20 minutes, as crews began to prepare it for a long line rescue.

Less than an hour later, both climbers were rescued.

Ground crews had been on the mountain earlier on, but it was just too dangerous for them to go into the immediate area while it was still dark out. North Shore Rescue team leader Mike Danks says the two men, both in their mid-20s, were very high up — about 100 metres below the summit.

He points out a closed area is closed for a reason.

“We realize that people are going to be back there anyway. The first two calls that we had were just people slipping — twisting twisting their ankle or hurting their knee — stuff like that. We understand that happens,” he admits.

Danks says it wasn’t a good idea for the two men rescued today to take the route they did at this time of year.

But they did do some things right.

“They let their spouses know where they were going, what time they were supposed to be back, and the route they were going to take,” says Danks.

Both men are hypothermic, but are otherwise okay.