On the evening of August 11th, 2012 Coquitlam SAR was tasked by Coquitlam RCMP to assist in the search for two hikers who found themselves disorientated on Burke Mountain ~ somewhere off of the Lakeview trail. The two male subjects were able to call for help, and light a small fire. Air1 (police helicopter) was able to pinpoint their position from the air by locating their fire.
Coquitlam SAR sent out two field teams, who hiked in from two different directions to locate the subjects.
The subjects were located and found to be in good condition, eager to hike out. The subjects and the teams hiked out, and returned to command by 3am.
Lesson learned from this search: without carrying a light source, the subjects found themselves trapped by darkness. Had they brought with them a flashlight or headlamp, they may have not lost the original trail and become disorientated.
A flashlight is one of the 10 essentials you should bring when heading out for a hike.