*** Urgent Search for Diabetic Searcher on Mt. Seymour, B.C. ***

From: Martin Colwell <sar_admin@mindlink.bc.ca>
Date: 2nd Augst 1996
Location: Mt. Seymour, N. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
BC RCC Task # 971704

On Wednesday July 31st 1996, the North Shore Rescue Team of North
Vancouver, B.C. were asked to search for a missing 37 year old
male hiker. The subject had entered the Mt. Seymour trail system at a
low elevation (710m) at 2.30pm Wednesday and had not returned home that
evening.

The subject had a known diabetic condition, in addition to some hearing
loss and had been known to collapse if food was not consumed on a
regular basis. He was believed to have no food, extra clothing, pack or
other equipment with him when he entered the Mt. Seymour forest. The
subject was a local resident quite familiar with the lower elevation
trail network.

The North Shore Rescue Team began a night search for the subject,
including shouts and regular whistle-blasts, checking most of the local
trails from the Point last Seen. By dawn most of these local trails had
been searched without any sign of the subject. At this point mutual aid
was requested from the neighbouring Lions Bay and Coquitlam SAR teams.

By 8am Thursday 1st August, ten search assignments were prepared and
teams deployments started throught the lower and middle elevation
regions of Mt. Seymour. The search area was also expanded to the east
and west of the PLS and localised Type 2 searching conducted, primarily
by helicopter, of the Seymour River, Lynn Creek and other likely spots.
On two trails the searching was conducted by teams on mountain bikes.

Background investigations were also expanded and during this it was
discovered that the subject had not eaten since 5pm Tuesday night - more
than 40 hours previously. This seriously raised the possibility that the
subject may have collapsed from his diabetic condition.

Pre-planning was initiated for a further expansion of the search effort
if the teams currently deployed did not find any clues within the next
hour or two. Porta-potties, food and shelter were despatched to the
Incident Base.

At approximately 10.30am th police investigations revealed that the
subjects' ATM bank card had been used that morning in a shopping mall
a few miles away. While the field teams continued their searching
investigations continued to determine who had used the bank card. At
11am the subject phoned his wife from the region of the shopping mall.

After the subject was met by the police and his ID confirmed, he was
despatched to a local hospital for a check-up. The field SAR teams were
then asked to return to base, during which time one team suffered an
unscheduled delay when they found themselves positioned between a black
bear and its cub. Eventually the 'giant fauna' moved on and this team
safely returned to base. The search was concluded with all teams out
of the field by 2pm.

Prepared by Martin Colwell
Lions Bay Search & Rescue

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