A paraglider has been rescued from a tree in the area behind Cascade Falls.
At about 8 p.m. on Tuesday (Aug. 22) Mission Search and Rescue (MSAR) was contacted by the RCMP to search for a downed paraglider in the dense mountain area.
The experienced paraglider jumped from Mt. St. Benedict and apparently ran into trouble shortly after, landing in a tree in the mountainous area behind the Falls.
It took more than four hours of almost vertical hiking for the rope team to reach the young man.
An arborist from the Ridge Meadows SAR team accompanied MSAR to scale the tree and assisted in setting up a rope system to lower the uninjured pilot down.
Due to the treacherous terrain, the team was unable to hike back down the mountain, and the decision was made to use a helicopter in the morning to get the team and uninjured subject out of the area.
The team members and subject were long-lined out by a helicopter, after a chilly night, high on the mountain.
According to a MSAR press release, the paraglider “was very fortunate considering he was in the tree for six hours and was able to go home in the morning.”
Members of MSAR want to remind the public that “if you are outdoors at this time of year, it is getting cooler at night. Be prepared with proper clothing, food and water in case you are forced to spend the night.”
Mission Search and Rescue is currently recruiting new volunteers. The deadline for applications is August 31, 2017. Visit missionsar.com or send an email to info@missionsar.com requesting details.