*** Fallen Hiker Rescued on Mt. Brunswick *** Subject: Mt. Brunswick Rescue Date: Tue, 8 Jul 1997 14:27:09 -0700 (PDT) From: Bob Manson To: sarinfo@mindlink.bc.ca Rescue on Mt. Brunswick Type of task: Rescue Number of subjects: 1 injured, 3 companions Location: Near summit of Mt. Brunswick, 5km NE of Lions Bay Incident Date: June 29, 1997 At 0740 on the morning of June 29, a group of 5 hikers from the Valley Hiking Club started a hike up to the summit if 1788m Mt. Brunswick, the tallest of the North Shore mountains, following the Mt. Brunswick Trail. The group consisted of 3 females and 2 males, both of whom had hiked the trail before. The group reached the col just below the summit of the peak, approximately 300 vertical meters above the snow line, and stopped for lunch in a spot sheltered from the wind. NM, one of the 2 male hikers, continued to the summit for a brief stop before returning to the group. After beginning their descent, the two male hikers had boot-skied ahead of the rest of the group. Shortly after descending from the col, at 1245 hrs, at approx. 1600m elevation, the group reached a point where the trail traverses the slope above a steep gully before descending again. One of the female members of the group, AM, travelling as the fourth person in line, slipped and fell on the snow, sliding on her vinyl poncho approximately 100m down into the gully striking exposed rock outcroppings on the way. NM, the first member in line and leader of the group, had attempted to catch her on her slide before losing grip and AM slid away from him, coming to a stop on the snow in the gully. The other members of the group made their way to her, except for the other male hiker, GS, who was immediately sent for help. GS, a former marathon runner, made quick time in descending the trail and making his way to Lions Bay ambulance station where he reported the accident. A page was sent to Lions Bay Search and Rescue at approximately 1410 and search manager Bob Manson responded to the station to take the statement of GS. At 1430 a general callout was begun for members of Lions Bay Search and Rescue to attend at the Emergency Building, which houses the ambulance station, fire department and SAR base. Lions Bay Search & Rescue was at that time tasked to a mutual aid response on Mt. Seymour where two separate searches were in progress and where team members had been searching for the previous 18 hours. Four members were recalled from that task and flown by helicopter to Lions Bay while three more members responded from their homes. The helicopter that had transported the team members from Mt. Seymour had performed a recce on his way in to Lions Bay and had determined that due to cloud cover, the area of the accident was inaccessible by air. Of the initially responding members -including a former paramedic- two teams were formed and given assignments. The first team consisting of fresh members, were assigned to access and assess the patient, transporting first aid and hypothermia packaging equipment with them. The second team was assigned to assist the first, and to escort the three companion hikers down off the mountain. Both teams were to access the scene on foot. Upon arriving at the scene of the accident, the SAR teams found that the companion hikers had marked a route from the trail to the subject, who had been cared for by NM, the hiking group's leader who possessed an OFA3 first aid certificate. An initial assessment of the patient determined: accelerated respiration, moderate hypothermia, compromised airway, probable fractured ribs, probable head injury, possible c-spine injury, and multiple contusions to her head, face and body. NM reported that the subject had not lost consciousness at any point but had periodically reduced level of consciousness. The subject had been moved, prior to SAR team arrival, off the snow and an effort had been made to keep her warm with the few resources the hikers had with them. Due to the terrain and patient condition, the 6 SAR members remained with the patient while the companion hikers walked out. As additional SAR members reported to base, several plans were drawn-up. As the field teams had reported intermittent breaks in the cloud cover, a SAR member paramedic and another SAR member were dispatched by helicopter with additional medical equipment and patient packaging equipment in an effort to land on the ridge above the scene and access on foot. At the same time, Canadian Armed Forces Search & Rescue 442 Sqdn. was called to assist with their Labrador helicopter and paramedics as the field teams reported that to remove the subject on the ground would require a rope rescue evolution followed by a long, difficult carry out, which may have proven injurious to the patient. 442 Sqdn. reported that due to the Labrador being on standby on the west side of Vancouver Island, their time to scene would be 1hr, 30min. Cloud cover prevented the paramedic team from landing and they returned to the staging area where they were dispatched to access the patient by ground along with additional SAR team members in case a carry-out was required. Members of Squamish Search & Rescue had been called for mutual aid to provide the necessary manpower and four of their members had been standing by at base along with more LBSAR members. Squamish SAR members had just returned from a search of their own. As additional ground teams were moving toward the subject, the Labrador Helicopter arrived and attempted to locate the scene as clouds at ground level continued to move in and out of the area. After circling for approximately 30min. while ground teams launched flares during brief breaks in cover, the helicopter crew was able to pinpoint their location. Running low on fuel, when the clouds next broke, the Labrador crew lowered two paramedics and a stretcher by winch and rapidly evacuated the patient who was then flown to hospital. The subject's injuries included a collapsed lung, 6 broken ribs and a fractured lumbar vertebrae. The ground SAR teams hiked out and the last field teams returning to base at approximately midnight. Twenty two SAR personnel including four from Squamish SAR, participated in this 10 hour operation. Of the five hikers in the group, none had ice axes or crampons. Two of the group, not including the injured subject, had ski poles for walking sticks. Only the two male members of the group had any previous experience hiking in steep snow conditions. Though better equipped than many day hikers, with headlamps, extra clothes, proper footwear, etc, they were not equipped to deal with the seriousness of the situation that developed. Hypothermia would have been a serious problem if the subject had gone a few more hours without SAR members present. None of the members of the group had left a pre-hike plan with a responsible person nor given any notice of their destination, or expected return time. Bob Manson Lions Bay Search & Rescue ------------------------------