It was an especially cold Christmas Eve for members of the North Shore Rescue team after a backcountry skier went missing on Mount Seymour.
Volunteer search and rescue members were called in to help locate the skier Friday evening and had difficulties due to a storm that brought in deep snow and frigid temperatures. The rescue team was also limited in their ability to choose different paths to get to the missing skier thanks to unstable avalanche conditions.
Around midnight, the team posted an update to their Facebook page saying they had managed to make voice contact with the missing skier in Suicide Gully, but due to the avalanche conditions, they were not able to get into the area.
NSR tried to access the missing skier using its Talon Helicopter but said the “flight/atmospheric conditions are proving to be challenging.”
Bringing in additional crews the following day, Christmas Day, NSR said the lost skier had been located and led out by ground crews.
“All rescuers are heading home to be with their families. Thank you to those members that were out all night and today on this Christmas task,” the team wrote.
