Hikers who tried to push their limits in sweltering temperatures on the Grouse Grind resulted in a hat trick of rescues on the North Shore trail before noon on Sunday.
At one point in the morning, two fire engines, three ambulances and a rescue truck were all dispatched to the bottom of the trail to deal with hikers who’d got themselves part way up the Grind before getting overcome, said Brian Hutchinson, assistant fire chief with District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue.
The first call came in shortly after 9 a.m. when a man in his mid-60s at the quarter-mark of the trail began suffering severe chest pains. After he was assessed by an initial group of firefighters, a second team was sent in to get him with a basket stretcher.
Meanwhile, the first team were alerted to a woman in her 40s in medical distress further up the trail. A third team with a second basket stretcher was sent in to get her. But on the way out, the team encountered a third person on the trail in need of assistance – possibly due to heat and exertion.
Eventually all three were helped out – two with stretchers and one under her own steam with some assistance.
Hutchinson said the busy morning on the Grind is a good reminder for people to be cognizant of their own limits, taking weather, temperatures and the need for proper hydration into account when tackling strenuous activities.
