A 28-year-old woman has died after falling several hundred metres on Mount Seymour in B.C. while out camping with a friend, according to North Shore Rescue.
The search and rescue team said they responded Saturday morning after a 911 call was placed by the woman’s friend.
Search manager Stan Sovdat says the pair had camped overnight near Pump Peak, an area less than 20 kilometres northeast of downtown Vancouver.
He says the snow had frozen overnight, creating slippery conditions.
“Typically the snow is pretty soft in the sunshine and then overnight it drops to freezing and the snow really firmed up,” he said.
<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/NorthVanRCMP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#NorthVanRCMP</a>, along with Search and Rescue and other first responders, are currently at Mount Seymour assisting with a lost hiker. We can confirm that the hiker has been located, deceased. Our sincerest condolences go out to the family and friends of the hiker. Due to privacy… <a href=”https://t.co/wsWVcYPGVo”>pic.twitter.com/wsWVcYPGVo</a>
—@nvanrcmp
Sovdat says the 28-year-old had reportedly dropped her phone and slipped while trying to retrieve it.
A helicopter was initially dispatched with several rescuers but poor visibility on the mountain prevented a landing, the search manager said, so a ground team was deployed.
“Our initial group … went up and met the friend and got a better fix on which direction she went,” he said.
North Vancouver RCMP confirmed on social media Saturday afternoon the hiker had been located deceased and extended condolences to her family and friends.
NSR is responding to a call for a hiker on Mount Seymour.
—@NSRescue
They said no further details would be released due to privacy concerns.
North Shore Rescue is urging hikers to take spring mountain conditions seriously.
“Understand that the slopes are not safe during the day,” Sovdat said. “You get solar warming and the potential for avalanches, and overnight things are freezing up there.
“What seems like a nice, gentle, friendly slope can turn into a toboggan ride from hell.”
