At 20:00 on Sunday, May 11th, 2014, Coquitlam SAR was activated to search for two lost hikers on Burke Mountain.
The two subjects, both male and in their 20’s, had started hiking from Quary Road up the Goat Trail at 6:00, heading for Munroe and Dennett lakes. They got lost on the way back to their car, becoming disoriented in a swampy area near what locals know as the “Cabin Trail”.
Coquitlam RCMP “pinged” their cell phone, and the subjects also managed to provide rough coordinates that corroborated the information, resulting in a fairly high level of confidence on their location. The subjects also had good battery power in their phone, so the team was able to communicate quite effectively.
Three teams approached the area via Harper Road, and one team started up the Goat trail, effectively surrounding the subjects. Teams reached the subjects at approximately 22:00, and escorted them out.
The two men were not well prepared for an evening in the bush; we recommend people carry the 10 essentials at a minimum, every time you go hiking.
This rescue is the fourth time in the last three weeks that the team has been activated – making a very busy start to the summer hiking season.