The overnight search for a missing hiker in North Vancouver came to a tragic end late Saturday morning, after rescuers found the man deceased.
The man was hiking up Mount Fromme from Kennedy Falls with a friend on Friday, May 21 when he decided to turn around, according to North Shore Rescue.
After the pair became separated, one of the hikers returned to his vehicle. He contacted North Vancouver RCMP to report his hiking partner missing when his friend failed to return. Police immediately opened a missing person investigation and contacted North Shore Rescue to activate a search.
The man was reportedly last seen at 800 metres between Mount Fromme and Kennedy Falls, and was descending at the time, said North Shore Rescue in a Facebook post. "This area is densely forested making searching from the air challenging, as well ground crews are having to bushwhack through thick brush in steep terrain," the post continued. "There is no flagged trail or established route in this area."
Rescue crews searched late into the night, both on foot and from a helicopter equipped with night vision, before resuming operations at 6 a.m. on Saturday.
The missing man was found dead at around 10:30 a.m., a short distance from the location where the pair separated, police said in a release. The incident is being treated as a tragic accident.
“He got into very steep terrain and unfortunately fell,” said Mike Danks, North Shore Rescue team leader.
The BC Coroners Service is investigating. RCMP will not be releasing the identity of the deceased.
North Shore Rescue called out for four separate incidents Saturday
The unfortunate result to the search for the missing hiker marked the beginning of what's turning out to be a busy holiday weekend for North Shore Rescue.
Shortly after the man's body was located, rescuers were called to attend the Eagle Bluffs area to assist a hiker with an injured knee. On Saturday afternoon, the volunteer search and rescue team was contacted for a third incident, requiring North Shore Rescue's hoist team to help a hiker who fell near Mount Brunswick in Lions Bay.
The day's fourth call, concerning a mountain biker in need of assistance on Mount Seymour, was passed off to District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services.
