North Shore Rescue (NSR) says it recovered two teens deep in the backcountry behind Mt. Seymour after they had gone off trail on Wednesday.
“It is understood that these two set off to summit Runner Peak, and on their descent, encountered difficulty descending the steep snow slope,” NSR said.
“They took a different path down through some trees, got off trail, and ended up following the Elsay Lake trail in the wrong direction (i.e. further north towards Elsay Lake, not south to the parking lot / trailhead).”
The pair was able to use their iPhone emergency satellite SOS feature to call for help once they realized they were significantly lost.
“Thankfully, they stayed put, and a NSR helicopter rescue team with Talon Helicopters were able to fly to their location, spot them from the air, and perform a hoist rescue,” said NSR.
There are a number of lessons that can be learned from this rescue, the service says.
“This situation is an excellent example of how a number of errors can compound and result in a very serious situation,” it said.
“We share this discussion to illustrate what can go wrong, and what can be done differently, in hopes that the educational commentary can prevent future such situations/rescues.
Firstly, Runner is a “significant undertaking,” which only highly experienced hikers should take on.
“At this time of year (i.e. still snow), it remains a mountaineering objective, requiring ice axe and crampons (and experience self arresting),” NSR said.
In this case, the teens lacked adequate gear.
“This lack of gear resulted in them departing from the standard route (i.e. they couldn’t descend the snow slope),” it said.
Secondly, the pair didn’t have maps downloaded onto their phones.
“As a result, when they left cell range, they did not have any map to help guide their way. This resulted in them heading north rather than south; this took them deeper into the backcountry, away from the parking lot.”
Downloading maps for offline use is critical, it says.
“In the North Shore, cell service disappears very fast the further you get from the trailhead,” it said.
“A cell phone/GPS without offline maps is useless for navigation. If you do use your phone for mapping (SAR always endorses the good old map and compass and skill on how to use them), also ensure to take an external battery pack — cell batteries drain quicker than you think, especially with mapping and in the cold temperatures.”
Fortunately in this case, the teens had enough battery life on their phones, and they had iPhones of a generation that was capable of emergency satellite SOS communication.
“This is what enabled SAR crews to be alerted to their predicament and location,” NSR said.
“Once that process was initiated, the two did the right thing by staying put and waiting for rescue.”
If they had continued moving, it would have taken SAR crews much longer to find them.
The two hikers were very cold and wet by the time crews reached them, the organization says.
“An excellent reminder that all recreationalists should carry, at a minimum, the 10 Essentials with them at all times.”
These essentials are:
When the helicopter was nearby, the teens did the right thing and started flashing a light.
“This made identification of their precise location much easier from the air.
Hikers should also familiarize themselves with how to get GPS coordinates on smartphones, using MotionX or iPhone Compass app, to give rescuers.