A Double-Rescue Weekend
- kc dyer
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Lions Bay SAR call-out season off to a busy start
An injured knee and a lost backpack both proved problematic for hikers this weekend.
The sunny weekend proved to be a siren song, as hikers flocked to the trails to enjoy the sun and the views. A call came in to Lions Bay Search and Rescue (LBSAR) on Friday May 1, reporting an injured hiker near Tunnel Bluffs with a dislocated knee.
LBSAR personnel note that this is considered a rare but serious injury involving the knee joint itself that can be limb-threatening and requires urgent medical attention.
As such a full helicopter response was initiated, with North Shore Rescue (NSR) alerted to provide mutual aid.
By the time rescuers arrived to assess the situation, it was full dark, and a helicopter hoist extraction was undertaken with members of the hiking group assisting by notifying nearby campers of the upcoming helicopter operation.
LBSAR member Maria Masiar notes that a helicopter lift can be quite disruptive to hikers and campers alike.
"Tunnel Bluffs is occasionally used as an emergency landing zone. If individuals are camping in the area during a rescue, they should pack up their tents, secure all loose belongings, and move into the surrounding forest to provide a clear and safe area for emergency helicopter operations," she advises.
In this case, Masiar says the group was well prepared, and once rescue technicians were deployed, the injured hiker was successfully hoisted from the site. He was transferred to an ambulance at Lions Bay School field and taken to hospital for further evaluation. His hiking partners were escorted out to the trail head by a LBSAR ground team.
An attempt to refill water from a creek on Sunday led a hiker to drop their backpack into steep terrain. LBSAR members reported that in attempting to retrieve the lost pack, the hiker "followed the pack into increasingly technical and committing terrain, eventually losing the trail."
The complexity of the terrain meant that LBSAR rope rescue teams were deployed to rappell down the steep slope, secure the stranded hiker and safely return them to the trail.
LBSAR provides these rescue services without question or charge. Donations to help replace LBSAR equipment and gear can be made HERE.
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