Oliver-Osoyoos Search and Rescue conducted a helicopter search late Friday evening for a skier lost in the Mount Baldy ski area.
OOSAR says it received a call from the Emergency Coordination Centre.
“We were able to make phone contact with the subject and asked him to stay where he was,” OOSAR said in a post on social media.
“As members were getting ready to deploy, we were able to get the subject’s coordinates to give us a general location.”
Four members with two snowmobiles and a tracked quad responded to the rescue.
The cold temperatures and the number of downed trees blocking the route to the lost skiers prompted search and rescue to make a request to the ECC to send out a helicopter from Vancouver.
Talon Helicopters, based in Vancouver and North Shore rescue responded.
“As weather between the coast and our area could affect the helicopter response, our members prepared for a possible snowmobile ride into the subject,” said OOSAR. “Fortunately, the weather cooperated and the helicopter was able to attend.”
According to Oliver-Osoyoos Search and Rescue, the aircrew located the subject in the area of the coordinates they had received. Aircrews inserted a member by winch to extract the missing skier.
Search and rescue crews were waiting in the Baldy parking lot for a landing zone and the helicopter dropped the skier off there to reunite with his friends. The skier was uninjured, but very cold.
“This skier did the right thing, as soon as he realized he was lost. He called 9-1-1,” said OOSAR. “He also stayed in his location until he was rescued. His friends also did the right thing by reporting him missing to the ski hill as soon as they realized he was not with them.”
OOSAR also reminds the public that while a number of resources were used in this task, that there is no charge for rescues.