Searchers were out scouring the North Shore backcountry for the second day on Friday, looking for a 65-year-old Vancouver woman who went missing from a hike in Cypress Provincial Park Thursday.
Debbie Blair had been hiking the Baden Powell Trail with a group from Vancouver’s Carnegie Hall heading to the Eagle Bluffs area when she began falling behind and got separated from the group.
When the rest of the hikers reached Eagle Bluffs, they discovered she was missing, said Mike Danks, team leader for North Shore Rescue.
When the group couldn’t find any sign of her on the hike back to the parking lot, they called police.
An extensive ground and air search was launched Thursday afternoon and continued Friday.
Danks said the searchers found two possible clues on Friday: tracks that appeared to be skidding down an area near Donut Rock, the last place that hikers remember seeing Blair. Another possible set of tracks was discovered Friday afternoon, heading into steep terrain near Dick Creek.
Searchers, including teams from North Shore Rescue as well as Coquitlam and Lions Bay SAR teams continued scouring the steep backcountry with ground and air crews as of press time. An RCMP tracking dog had also been brought in to help the search.
An air search team was also flying over gullies in the area with a heat-detecting infrared camera.
Danks said the fact Blair has been missing for 24 hours is very worrying.
Although Blair is described as an experienced hiker in good physical shape, Danks said she had no cellphone, is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease and was unprepared for a night in the backcountry, where temperatures dipped to about 2 °C Thursday night. Blair left her jacket and lunch behind and was dressed only in light clothing.
Danks said Blair has also been described as very hard of hearing, which adds to the logistical challenge of finding her. “She’s unlikely to hear rescuers calling out,” he said.
Danks urged anyone who was hiking in the park Thursday and may have seen Blair to let them know by calling West Vancouver Police at 604-925-7300.
Blair is described as slim, about five-foot-four and 130 pounds with brown/grey hair. She was wearing white pants when she was last seen.
“Our feeling is she mistakenly got on the Donut Rock Trail. It’s a really tough trail to follow. It’s really steep. She didn’t have a light with her,” he said.
Danks said the team is especially concerned about the possibility Blair may have become injured and be unable to move.
“We’re very concerned about her well-being, surviving the night,” he said Friday. “We’re trying to cover off as many areas as possible today.”
