Coquitlam search and rescue were activated late last night after a young couple got caught by nightfall near Buntzen Lake.
The 19-year-old man and woman went hiking yesterday, but didn’t bring a flashlight with them.
When it got dark around 9:30 p.m., they called a friend to say they were stuck, but thought they could make it through the night.
But when the temperature dropped, they realized they were in trouble and called for help.
Rescuers tracked down the couple using phone GPS and hiked up to find them and warm them up. They were walked out safely this morning.
Michael Coyle with Coquitlam search and rescue says the pair was not as well prepared as they thought they were.
He says there is still snow on the ground and it is wet and cold up on the mountain.
“The lesson is it’s still winter up on the mountain,” says Coyle. “It’s only 900 metres from here – vertical elevation gain. But that makes all the difference. It’s nice and green and it’s actually sunny in parts of the Lower Mainland today, but it was socked in and dark all day over here.”
On Wednesday, the team was called to a nearby area for a second pair of stranded hikers.