Hiker rescued from North Shore mountains

B.C. hikers are being warned that while summer conditions have hit the city, it’s still winter up in the mountains, after a man was rescued Saturday night.

North Shore Rescue had to pluck a man in his 20s off the mountain after he got lost hiking LynnPeak trail.

While the man was well equipped for summer conditions, Tim Jones of NSR said he wasn’t prepared for the snowy conditions on the mountain and did not have appropriate footwear.

The man called for help at around 5 p.m. and then remained in a higher area where he had a strong cellular signal to send text messages.

Jones said rescue crews coordinated locations with the man via text and flashlight signals, and rescued him by helicopter longline just before 7 p.m.

“Take precautions and we advise people to take a good quality cellphone with a good battery,” Jones said. “Don’t phone… friends for two hours before phoning the police or us. Try to get to high ground so you can hit a cell site.”

Jones said cellphones have changed the dynamic for rescue crews and texting coordinates is becoming a common practice.

With files from Postmedia