Skip to content

OPINION – Search and Rescue – Stay Clear of Ice Caves During Heat Wave

Golden Ears/ Ridge Meadows – Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue (SAR) has taken to social media about the dangers of hiking in ice caves.

At the best of times, falling rock and slippery conditions are dangerous. Add a hear wave, and things do get worse.

On Saturday, RMSAR Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue was tasked with rescuing a couple of hikers after a snow cave collapsed on them in Evans Valley. A hasty team was sent to the subject’s location, and found a group of three with various injuries including a broken ankle, and possible spinal concerns. The group had been venturing inside the snow cave when a sizeable chunk collapsed on top of them, avalanching towards them and sent them tumbling over the rocks for a significant distance. They are extremely lucky considering the event that took place and their resulting injuries – this mechanism could have easily been fatal. Their screams and the sound of the crash caught the attention of another hiking pair further down the trail, who were able to call for help via their satellite messenger. Due to the extreme heat, a member of this other party began experiencing symptoms of heat stress and the decision was made to longline all four subjects out of the field with help from Coquitlam Search and Rescue and Talon Helicopters due to the rugged terrain which made landing a helicopter impossible. Of the four subjects, three were injured and both parties were in different areas of Evans Valley, which further complicated the rescue. After our joint HETS team with Coquitlam was able to extract all subjects from the field and hand them off to BCAS, the remaining members and equipment were extracted via a hover entry into the helicopter (without a longline). We would like to take this opportunity to remind you of a few things. Firstly, although the snow caves are very pretty, they are also extremely dangerous and can collapse without notice. For this reason we advise admiring them from a distance and to NOT go inside them, or walk on top of them. Secondly, with the extreme heat it is advisable to save vigorous activity for another time (or come very prepared for it, including LOTS of water, food, and sunscreen to name a few – refer to www.adventuresmart.ca). Lastly, the ten essentials should always be brought, no matter the intended duration, length, or difficulty of the hike. There is no service in most of Golden Ears Park, and a satellite messaging device is what alerted us to this incident.

Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue SAR
Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue SAR

Share This:

CFC Chilliwack FC

Valley and Canyon Dispatch

Chilliwack Jets

radiodon11@gmail.com fvn@shaw.ca 604 392 5834

abbyTV

Chill TV

Small Business BC

Community Futures

Unique Thrifting

On Key

Related Posts