Photo: Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue // Facebook
A group of hikers found themselves trapped in an emergency shelter for three days in British Columbia’s Golden Ears Provincial Park this week. Luckily, due to the hikers’ preparedness and dogged efforts of rescue crews, they were able to return home on Tuesday.
The hikers had set out to reach the summit of the Golden Ears Mountains on Saturday, January 10. The group of four, all hailing from Coquitlam, a city 25 miles east of Vancouver, reached the top without issue. However, on the way down, a sudden storm swept in and created whiteout conditions that made the rest of the journey impossible.
Fighting their way through poor visibility and blizzard-like conditions, the group managed to make their way down the mountain to a nearby emergency shelter, where they called for help using Apple SOS. The hikers had brought enough food to last them through Sunday, and the shelter contained blankets, heat vests, food, and other supplies.
The small emergency shelter contained emergency supplies that allowed the hikers to wait for rescuers. Photo: Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue // Facebook
Rescuers received the call on Saturday night, but the harsh conditions that required the hikers to seek shelter also prevented them from from retrieving the men. On Sunday, ground crews and a helicopter unsuccessfully attempted to reach the shelter, but had to turn away. On Monday, conditions were even worse.
However, while the hikers had been lucky enough to have supplies to wait out the storm, those provisions soon began to run out. “They said by Monday night they had run out of food and other supplies,” Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue president Brent Boulet told the Vancouver Sun. “Now we are starting to feel the pressure of getting them out as soon as possible.”
On Tuesday, an opportunity finally presented itself to retrieve the men. Around 1 p.m., rescuers were able to fly a helicopter up to the shelter, retrieve the hikers, and return to safety. Boulet told the Sun that the men were tired and hungry, but otherwise in good shape.
