A rescue mission in North Vancouver, B.C., is serving as a lesson for hikers to be prepared.
Three hikers ended up lost after going off Skyline Trail near Mosquito Creek on Thursday.
“They got off-trail coming down from Skyline and they ended up off to the east a little bit,” Dave Barnett of North Shore Rescue said. “When they were lost and in trouble, they called for help.”
North Shore Rescue crews told them to stay put. Just before sunset, the hikers were located.
Crews gave them headlamps — something the hikers failed to bring — and escorted them down the cold, wet terrain to safety.
One of the hikers told Global News the incident taught them a lesson, and they understand the importance of having a fully charged cellphone and wearing clothes suited for the weather.
“They need to have warm, winter clothing, really good footwear (and) a headlight at this time of the year because it gets dark so much earlier,” Barnett said.
Crews are asking hikers to be prepared for rapidly changing conditions.
“We just want people to be prepared and don’t take (on) any more of a hike than they can manage,” Barnett said.