TWO lost hikers avoided a chilly night in the woods above West Vancouver on the weekend thanks to the flash on their camera.
The man and woman were part of a hiking group that set out for a day excursion near Hollyburn Mountain on Saturday. As darkness fell, the woman became separated from her companions somewhere along the Baden Powell trail south of Cypress Bowl and, as the last light faded, became disoriented.
When the group reached the Cypress Bowl parking lot and found that their friend wasn't with them, one of the men headed back along the trail to find her, according to rescuers. They apparently met up, but without a flashlight, they were soon both stranded.
A security person with the resort reported the situation to North Shore Rescue, who managed to get in touch with the missing pair by cellphone and pass on their estimated position to a nearby RCMP helicopter.
The chopper headed for the mountain, and the hikers were told to activate the flash on their camera when they heard it approaching. The flight crew, equipped with night-vision goggles, quickly spotted the light and pinpointed their location. The pair had made it to within a kilometre of the parking area.
Armed with that information and a flashlight, the security person walked back along the trail to the victims and led them out of the forest.
Neither was harmed in the incident.