*** Injured Hiker Phones For Rescue from Mountain Top ***

9th June 1997

A 38 year old West Vancouver man was rescued late Sunday evening
(June 8/97) after falling and injuring himself on the rugged mountains
above Lions Bay, B.C.. 

Sandy MacDonald, a resident of Horseshoe Bay, was hiking alone below
the south ridge of Mt. Unnecessary when he slid 3-400ft down a snow
runnel between trees, and fractured his ankle. He was unable to climb
back up to the ridge and could not go down, due his injury and
cliffbands below.

MacDonald was carrying a cellular phone and so dialled 911 for help.
he was put through to Lions Bay Search & Rescue team leader Ed Langford.

MacDonald was able to take compass bearings from his position 
to landmarks on Bowen Island and relayed this information to 
Langford over the phone. Langford was able to transfer this 
information to a map and thereby determine MacDonald's location. 

As MacDonald's call for help did not come through until early 
evening searchers raced against the approaching darkness. A 
helicopter was dispatched to quickly carry searchers and equipment 
to the ridge of Mount Unnecessary. MacDonald had spread out a 
large orange tarp to attract the helicopter, but his position in 
the trees and against the edge of a cliff made locating him very 
difficult.

After 30 minutes of air searching the subject had still not been 
spotted. More searchers were flown up to the search area and the 
North Shore Rescue team were put on standby. Then the second search 
team spotted MacDonald from the helicopter - 1km away from of his 
stated location, in the next drainage to the South, Newman Creek. 

It was now 7pm and darkness was only a two hours away. Rescuers 
were dropped from the helicopter in a risky manoeuvre known as a 
"hover exit" - in which the helicopter, while still flying, drops 
off the team members onto the ridge top. 

The rescuers quickly stabilized MacDonald's medical condition 
and set about rigging a stretcher pulley system to raise MacDonald 
the 300 meters back up to the ridge top. Three separate pulley raising
systems had to be rigged to get MacDonald back up the steep snow field
to a point where he could be helicoptered out to a waiting ambulance.

The last of the Lions Bay Search & Rescue team members was airlifted
off the ridge top at 9:30 pm, within minutes of darkness.

"This gentleman was very lucky" said Lions Bay Search & 
Rescue spokesman Owen Jones. "If he had not been able to talk to 
us on his cell phone we would have had no idea where to look for 
him."

"There is still a lot of snow in the higher reaches of the 
local mountains. Hikers should be equipped for winter travel with 
ice axes, water proof clothing, flashlight, map and compass" said 
Jones.

Sixteen volunteers from the Lions Bay Search & Rescue team 
participated in the rescue.

 
Submitted by Owen Jones
Public Relations Officer, Lions Bay Search & Rescue

sarinfo@mindlink.bc.ca

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