First responders rescue injured hiker off Lakeview Trail in dark
Firefighters and search and rescue volunteers helped a woman with an injured leg off the Coquitlam Lakeview Trail late Thursday night.
A hiker between 60 and 70 years old was making her way up the trail with a relative and friends when, about two kilometres from the top, she tripped and suffered a leg injury.
Despite sporadic cell service, someone from the group managed to call 911.
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Sandro Bonifazi, assistant fire chief for Coquitlam Fire & Rescue, said he received the call at 9:10 pm Thursday night — just 10 minutes before sunset.
“Because of the time of day, being close to dark — and that far off the main roads — it just adds more complexity to the situation,” Bonifazi said. He said he was concerned about his crew getting lost or injured, and called Coquitlam Search and Rescue for more hands on deck.
Coquitlam Fire & Rescue met one of the injured woman’s friends at the trailhead, then sent a team of four up the trail with medical gear to stabilize the woman and assess the rescue.
After a brisk 40 minute hike — most of it in the dark — the team reached the injured hiker at around 10:45 pm.
Coquitlam Search and Rescue sent up a team on electric mountain bikes equipped with bright lights.
“We provided them with support, and then we did a joint structure to bring her out of the trail system,” said Darren Timmer, the search manager for Coquitlam SAR.
The team of first responders carried the woman down the trail in a basket stretcher.
“It’s totally different being on those trails in the daylight compared to in the darkness. Even just walking down — even with headlamps and flashlights — walking on uneven ground. Very easy to twist an ankle or something in the dark,” said Bonifazi.
They eventually loaded the hiker into the back of the vehicle and drove to the trail head where an ambulance was waiting.
“At roughly 1:45 [a.m.], she was in the ambulance and on the way to the hospital,” Bonifazi said.
Primary care paramedics in the ambulance provided emergency medical treatment, according to an emailed statement from Rachelle Bown, a Public Information Officer with BC Emergency Health Services. They also told the Dispatch that they received a call at 11:04 pm.
Both Bonifazi and Timmer said it’s important to be prepared when heading out for hikes or other outdoor activities.
“With flashlights. With clothing,” said Bonifazi. “If you have to spend hours out there until you’re rescued. Food. Water.”
People can look at Coquitlam SAR’s 10 essentials for more guidelines.
