North Shore Rescue (NSR) safely recovered a snowboarder who got stuck in steep, slippery terrain in the Cypress Mountain area Tuesday afternoon.
NSR described the events of the hours-long, successful rescue in a post to social media Wednesday.
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Search Manager Allan McMordie tells 1130 NewsRadio that the boarder initially fell in a tree well after taking off her snowboard.
NSR reports that she was rescued without any injuries with the help of Cypress Ski Patrol.
McMordie says the boarder’s friends initially helped her get out, but she fell again and got stuck under a tree root after sliding 100 metres down the steep slope.
Cypress Ski Patrol responded to the friend’s call and requested help from NSR, McMordie says, after securing the snowboarder.
An NSR rescuer reportedly rappelled down and brought her up to the ski hill, where ski patrol carried her to the parking lot on a sled.
McMordie says it’s fortunate she stopped where she did, ahead of a dangerous drop below.
“If she had gone further, [she] likely would have been seriously injured.”
According to data from B.C.’s Provincial Health Services Authority, 369 snowboarding/skiing hospitalizations took place between 2020 and 2021.
According to the BC Coroner’s Service, around 10 people in the province die from skiing or snowboarding-related incidents every year.
McMordie says he wants families and friends visiting ski hills to be careful, especially during the upcoming busy long weekend.
He advised visitors to wear micro spikes on their boots, as the ice layer underneath fresh snow can be slippery.
