A West Vancouver man is recovering after a nasty fall requiring a helicopter rescue from deep in the North Shore backcountry.
The 54-year-old solo climber was nearing the peak of the North Needle in Lynn Headwaters Regional Park around 2 p.m. Sunday when he lost his grip on the rocks and roots and fell.
He was climbing near the summit and fell back and injured himself with a 20-metre tumble, said Doug Pope, rescue manager with North Shore Rescue. He was alone. That was one of the concerns. Thats quite a technical area. He was off-trail. It really was mountaineering exercise he was doing. . . . Luckily he was conscious and able to call for his own rescue but you could imagine what would happen if he was by himself and unconscious and unable to call for help.
B.C. Ambulance Service forwarded his distress call through to North Shore Rescue, which prompted a quick helicopter search of the area. After spotting the injured man, NSR volunteers returned with long-line helicopter rescue equipment and harnessed the man so he could be airlifted back to the closest North Shore Rescue base.
He had severe cuts and bruises and was complaining that he strained his back. He was taken into custody by the ambulance service to be taken to hospital for assessment, Pope said.
The man is an experienced climber and he was well equipped for the highly technical conditions on the snow-covered peak, Pope said.
But he was attempting that solo, which isnt really advised. Pope added. Its best to hike in pairs and to leave information about where youre going with a family member.
