Update on Cypress Bowl Rescue

On January 19th, 2012, at 4:13 pm, the West Vancouver Police were notified that Cypress Mountain Ski Patrol was responding to a report of snowboarders that had gone out of the controlled ski area boundary.

Cypress Mountain originally received a call from friends of the missing party relaying a message that the snowboarders had gone out of bounds on the east side of Mount Strachan and were unable to get back to the ski area. Cypress Mountain Ski Patrol conducted a search and located tracks leading to the area known as ‘Australian Gulley’. Cypress Mountain notified the West Vancouver Police Department and North Shore Search and Rescue who immediately responded.

It was clear from the outset that this was a rescue operation because the snowboarders had been confirmed lost via cellular phone; their location was narrowed down based on the information they were able to provide. Knowing that time is their enemy in these cases, North Shore Search and Rescue deployed a helicopter carrying two Search and Rescue personnel in order to increase the odds of a successful rescue. As a result of the immediate deployment of the helicopter, NSSR were able to locate the trapped snowboarders in a short timeframe. North Shore Search and Rescue personnel, onboard the helicopter, were inserted and able to reach the stranded snowboarders.

Three of the snowboarders had remained together. A fourth, who had been separated from the group, was in serious danger of becoming hypothermic and, if not for the actions of the North Shore Search and Rescue team, would likely have died.

Tim Jones of the North Shore Search and Rescue Team said, “These gullies are named after people who have died in them. They are notorious for fatalities and need to be taken seriously by skiers and snowboarders in the area.”

With the assistance of 13 North Shore Search and Rescue personnel, and a helicopter, the snowboarders were escorted from the treacherous icy conditions to safety.

During a debriefing with the snowboarders, it was discovered that they became lost when they left the controlled ski area boundary, crossing into an out of bounds ski area, and were unable to return to safety on their own. The snowboarders did not sustain any serious injuries.

The West Vancouver Police and the North Shore Search and Rescue caution anyone who considers entering out-of-bounds areas on any North Shore mountains. The conditions are extremely dangerous and there is a high probability that doing so will result in becoming stranded, injured or killed.