False Alarm Triggers Chopper Rescue

Partying campers "signal fire" turns out to be illegal

Talon helicoptor en route to call, July 26, 2025. Photo by kc dyer.

Lions Bay Search and Rescue (LBSAR) attended a callout Saturday evening triggered by a report from overnight campers in the Magnesia Meadows area, but calls of distress from the south face of Brunswick Mountain turned out to be all for naught.

LBSAR manager Brent Calkin said two teams were scrambled by helicopter to the top of Brunswick mountain and into Magnesia meadows. The intention was to "have them do voice calls and whistle blasts across the Howe Sound Crest trail where it traverses Brunswick, and call down the gullies from the top," in order to better locate the folks in trouble, said Calkin.

At the summit, the team found evidence of a campfire, which he said was described by the original informant as an "emergency signal fire." He added that by the time rescuers were on the ground nearby, the fire had been extinguished and the hikers had fled, "possibly feeling a bit guilty about their violation of the fire ban."

Despite hiking throughout the night, the ground teams received no response to their shouts and whistles, and ultimately arrived back in the Village after midnight.

The team decided to rescan the trails and drainages on both Mount Harvey and Brunswick by helicopter with the help of daylight on Sunday morning. Calkin said the team flew straight up to the area from YVR to minimize early morning noise in the Village.

Searchers who interviewed a pair of overnight campers on the Harvey peak learned that hikers on both mountains had been yelling back and forth at each other, "delighting in the echoes that bounce off the peaks," and that the calls for distress were likely just noise-making.

Since there was no report of a missing or overdue hiker, the team closed out the search.

Calkin says that rescuers want to remind hikers that any sort of yelling or screaming in the backcountry can easily be mistaken for cries for help, and trigger this kind of search mission. "We also understand that echoes are fun, so if you must yell out without distress, yell something that can’t be mistaken for cries of 'help' or 'hello'."

After a rather uneventful few weeks, Calkin notes that with midsummer heat, and the disappearance of the last of the snow, dehydration and heat injuries can become more frequent. He says that at this time of year it becomes difficult for hikers to carry enough liquid to stay properly hydrated. He reminds hikers to make use of water filtration or chemical treatment, "and don’t forget that replacing electrolytes when you’re sweating a lot is just as important as drinking water."

LBSAR provides rescue services without question or charge. Donations to help replace equipment and gear can be made HERE.

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