Rescued North Shore hiker’s story a cautionary tale of preparedness
Posted November 26, 2019 9:06 am.
NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The hiker lead off a trail by North Shore Rescue late Sunday night is thanking crews who helped her and her dog.
The woman said she is still traumatized by what happened, but “so grateful.”
In a thank you note to North Shore Rescue, the woman said she expected the hike on the Doughnut Trail near Cypress Bowl to be “adventurous,” but admitted she was completely unprepared — with no basic emergency equipment.
“I thought I had plenty of daylight for my return journey,” she added.
“As a result of my lack of prep, it got dark quickly on my return from the summit,” the letter reads. “I scrambled in pitch darkness, I was scared and confused. I fell in ditches several times, hit my head on rocks, my cell phone battery almost out! I was damp and cold and suffering from [hypothermia], it was snowing heavily.”
She managed to get a call out on her cellphone before it died, and crews eventually caught up with her and helped her back to safety.
“I’m writing to the teammates this morning with no injuries and in one piece because you found and rescued us,” she wrote after making a donation. “Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for your volunteer services.”
The woman said she’s learned her lesson, and is now spreading the word about the importance of being prepared in the backcountry.
Her dog, Skye, is doing just fine, too.
