Group hike ends in a chopper ride
Lions Bay Search and Rescue (LBSAR) were called in on Sunday to rescue a hiker lost on Mount Brunswick.
According to LBSAR team leader Brett Calkin, the woman got separated from her Facebook Meetup hiking group and lost the trail while descending from the peak. After finding herself in dense trees within a steep tributary of Magnesia Creek, she called for help.
Calkin notes that the area is in a section of Magnesia Creek from which LBSAR has rescued hikers in the past.
"She was not very far from the trail, but had traversed some difficult terrain, obtaining a few scrapes and bruises from falls," said Calkin. "She wisely decided that she had reached her limit for self-rescue, and called 911."
Upon receiving the call, two LBSAR members hover-exited a helicopter at the peak of Mount Brunswick and worked their way down to the hiker. Two other team members were dropped onto a rock in the talus field of Hat Pass with the goal of finding a suitable heli-pick-up point below the hiker.
After being assessed for injuries, the woman was given a helmet and hiking poles, and was escorted down the Brunswick trail to Hat Pass by team members.
Calkin says that the hiker was given a quick safety lesson on helicopter entry etiquette and technique, before everyone climbed onto the rock and braced for the coming downwash.
"Two helicopter loads later, everyone was safely returned to Lions Bay for debrief and clean-up," said Calkin.
Thanks to the efforts of LBSAR, the hiker suffered only minor scrapes and bruises.
LBSAR provides rescue services without question or charge. Donations to help replace equipment and gear can be made HERE.
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