Coquitlam Search and Rescue (SAR) plucked a hiker with a dislocated shoulder from Widgeon Falls in Coquitlam on Sunday, Sept. 1.
And team members used a helicopter to hoist the injured hiker from the remote recreational area, located on the eastern side of Burke Mountain.
BC Ambulance called the nonprofit group for assistance on Sunday afternoon to help the hiker by air while other team members who travelled to the scene by eBikes escorted the hiker’s friends back to the Widgeon Creek campground.
The incident is the most recent for the search and rescue organization that’s responded to 20 calls since June, of which five have been for mutual aid. By comparison, between June and August last year, Coquitlam SAR assisted with 24 tasks, of which seven were mutual aid.
President Nick Zupan told the Tri-City News last week that while the number of summer calls has stayed steady, the group is seeing some new trends.
Search teams are seeing upticks in mountain bike accidents and an increase in wilderness searches, mostly at night.
For the interface (in the forest) calls, Coquitlam SAR is being dispatched more with Coquitlam Fire and Rescue to handle hikers and cyclists in medical distress.
In addition, there continues to be a rise in the number of calls to help people with Alzheimer’s or dementia who have gone missing, Zupan said.
As for hikers travelling into the woods, they’ve been less prepared than in years past and some are using iPhone 911 and SOS for emergencies; however, those phone map apps aren’t designed for wilderness navigation.
“Reliance on these apps, which only have basic trail information, has resulted in subjects taking trails that are more difficult or longer than intended, leaving them stranded once navigation becomes more challenging or daylight runs out,” he said.
Instead, Coquitlam SAR recommends mapping programs like Gaia and Cal Topo, or the free AdventureSmart trip plan app.
If you’re heading to the hills for a hike, the group suggests packing the 10 Essentials:
- flashlight and spare batteries
- extra food and water
- extra clothing (rain, wind, water protection)
- navigational aids (map, compass, altimeter, GPS, chart, radio, mobile phone)
- fire starter
- first aid kit
- emergency shelter
- sun protection
- pocket knife
- signalling device
To donate to volunteer-run Coquitlam SAR, visit the group’s website.
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