Family Day was busy for Squamish Search and Rescue (SAR) with three calls coming in for people in need of help.
At about 6 a.m. Monday, SAR got a call of a snowshoer stuck near Red Heather in Garibaldi Park. He apparently had broken a snowshoe and couldn’t get out of the snow, said SAR president BJ Chute. The man was brought to safety without incident.
That evening, two calls came in simultaneously. One for a man lost on a trail atop the Sea to Sky Gondola; gondola staff was able to find him and walk him out to safety, Chute said.
The other call was for two men lost skiing near Elfin Lakes.
“Basically in the same area as the snowshoer,” Chute said. Rescuers were not able to go retrieve the men Monday night because of the avalanche conditions and approaching nightfall, but the men were brought out first thing Tuesday morning.
“They were happy to see us,” Chute said. “A little bit cold, but they were fine.”
Chute, reached while hiking the Stawamus Chief trail on Tuesday, said people should be better prepared heading out into wilderness. “It is easy to look outside right now and see that it is warm and sunny out, but I am on the trail and I think I have seen two people who have backpacks and everyone else is dressed in shorts and running shoes. They don’t even have so much as water,” he said.
“I think people really need to understand that if they do get into trouble, especially out in the snow… that they need to be prepared because we may not be able to launch a search immediately.”
