*** Hypothermic Snowboarders Found by Campers & Searchers ***

24th Febraury 1997

From Cliff Jennings
Whistler Search & Rescue

22nd February 1997:
A Japanese husband and wife snowboarding at Whistler Mountainbecame lost
on the south side of Whistler Mountain outside the ski area boundaries,
below the Ridge line of Whistler, Oboe and Flute summits. Descending
southwards the wife fell and became unconscious. When she recovered
consciousness her husband was no longer with her. In failing light she
continued to stumble down towards Cheakamus Lake and the Cheakamus River.

After wandering through the valley bottom she crossed and then re-crossed
the Cheakamus River before stumbing in the dark upon some campers. The
campers took care of her overnight and in the early morning alerted the
RCM Police of the incident.

23rd February 1997:
Whistler Search & Rescue began a hasty search for the husband,
concentrating on the upper Whistler Mountain ridgleine, while a helicopter
flew the valley bottom of the Cheakamus River. Lions Bay and North Shore
Rescue teams were initially placed on standby and were then asked to 
deploy when the helicopter found no sign of the husband.

A three-person ground-search team from Whistler SAR found the subject as
they conducted a Sound Sweep of the southern slopes of Whistler Mountain.
He was found to be in a hypothermic condition, with a body temperature of
33 Deg C (91 F). The subject was evacuated off the mountain by
mid-afternoon (1600 hrs) and theresponding SAR teams stood down.

Cliff Jennings
Whistler Search & Rescue

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