A married couple were rescued by Lions Bay Search and Rescue (LBSR) after they attempted to hike the entire Howe Sound Crest Trail on Sunday.
Crews say that LBSR requested the assistance of helicopters to airlift the couple near James Peak.
LBSR says that once the helicopter arrived near the area, crews were lowered to the ground.
“Three LBSAR members were inserted near the hikers, and both subjects and the rescue team were subsequently extracted by hover,” crews said in a written statement on Monday.
The man and woman reportedly started their hike at Cypress Mountain at around 9 a.m. and wanted to reach Porteau Cove, where they had parked their car, by the end of the day.
“By the time they reached James Peak, they were exhausted and unable to continue,” crews said.
LBSR adds that the rescue was the team’s first operational night hover rescue.
By the time they were rescued, dusk had set in, and the couple had hiked more than 10 kilometres, including more than 1,500 metres in elevation gain.
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Crews say that the couple was “poorly equipped for the demands of the trip.”
They remind everyone to bring sufficient food and water and to be realistic about the time it takes to complete the hike, which is a “long, strenuous, and committing backcountry route.”
They recommend rather “spend an unexpected night in the backcountry,” than to rush the trip.
On the same day, a second LBSR team moved out to help a disoriented hiker along the Harvey Trail.
Crews drove up the access road to locate and retrieve the subject.