Mt. Seymour Provincial Park -Theta Lake Task – Jan 2007
“A Total Team Effort”
Day One - Jan 17th
Shortly before four o’clock PM, two male snowshoers were returning from a day hike to Runner Peak via the Elsay Lake Trail. Suddenly, one of the snowshoers lost his footing on the steep icy traverse above Theta Lake and tumbled down a steep snow gully 800 feet before coming to rest on a snow field above Theta Lake.
Map of Theta Lake Area
Gully System where subject fell into Theta Lake bowl.
His hiking partner scrambled down a steep slope adjacent to the gully at his own personal risk in order to find his friend. Upon hearing his friend screaming in a confused state several hundred feet below him, this very calm man was luckily was able to call 911 on his celtel. He was quickly linked to a very alert Charge Dispatcher for the BC Ambulance Service. Upon finding out the basic information the Charge Dispatcher paged North Shore Rescue immediately. A SAR (Search and Rescue) Manager from North Shore Rescue(NSR) was quickly patched through to the snowshoer and within twenty three minutes a two member NSR team with specialized medical/hypothermia equipment and survival gear was high hover inserted onto Theta Lake via a Talon Helicopters AS350B2 with no daylight remaining. The Canadian Armed Forces 442 Sq. Cormorant helicopter was immediately requested by NSR due to light and undetermined injuries of the subject at this point.
The two man NSR team wearing crampons, quickly accessed the injured subject and after a quick assessment loaded him into a hypothermia bag and rope belayed him down to Theta Lake to await extraction via CAF 442 Sq. Concurrently a NSR hasty team was deployed to rescue his good friend above.
When extraction via 442 SQ was scrubbed due to weather, the two man NSR team unable to get the subject up the steep sides of Theta Lake dragged the subject to the only island of safety on the lake so as to avoid the impending avalanche hazard due to the forthcoming heavy snowfall. The stoic subject was treated for his injuries and hypothermia and was given morphine for his pain by one of the NSR men who is also an advanced life support paramedic with BC Ambulance. The NSR rescuers and subject then spent the night in two emergency shelters.
Day 2 Jan-18th
The following morning NSR Search Mangers expanded the operation into a full Incident Command structure, calling in mutual from several other SAR teams, related agencies to try and effect a major conventional rope rescue due to poor weather conditions. A five man advance team made up of members of NSR, Coquitlam and Lions Bay SAR were able to make it down to Theta Lake just before the “door” closed on any rescue attempt due to a reactive snowpack that developed rather quickly. In fact , an NSR avalanche tech was briefly buried by a slab avalanche while ski cutting and the two man NSR team and their injured subject were very nearly hit by a slab avalanche that naturally released above them on a less that twenty five degree slope.
Emergency Shelter almost hit by avalanche
The five man advance team made contact with the two man NSR team and immediately together all seven SAR members dragged the subject up the steep sides out of Theta Lake proper. When it was ascertained that a rescue attempt would not happen, two snowcaves and a tarp encampment were established in the tree line above Theta Lake. The conditions at Theta Lake were extremely wet and this presented challenges for the SAR members in staying dry. The subject remained dry and relatively warm during the whole task.
Tarp Camp at Theta Lake
The SAR Management Team came up with a very sound plan to utilize avalanche control technicians from Blackcomb Ski Patrol and Ministry of Highways in order to blast and stabilize a direct path down to the SAR members and subject in Theta Lake thus allowing a conventional rope rescue.
The SAR members and subject spent the night in the snow caves keeping in regular radio contact with NSR Resource Center which was being manned 24 hours. A 24 hour Forward Base Camp was also established above Theta Lake to monitor and support day 3.
Day 3 - Jan 19th
A major rescue operation was launched in the early morning of Day3. The RCMP and BC Parks closed Mt. Seymour Provincial Park to the public for the first time in its history so the avalanche technicians could blast the avalanche loaded slopes above Theta Lake. The avalanche technicians led by Scott Aitken and Nigel Stuart----- performed absolutely brilliant work in both blasting and ski cutting a direct route down to Theta Lake. Major releases were observed by the SAR members trapped at Theta Lake from the safety in the tree line. By early afternoon, as the avi techs descended to meet up with the SAR members at Theta Lake. Meanwhile Talon Helicopters owner and chief pilot Peter Murray hovered in his AS350B2 helicopter with two NSR members on board over the Indian Arm just below Theta Lake. Murray tried several times to come into Theta Lake but the cloud layer stayed 200 feet below the lake. A rope rescue system involving dozens of rescuers and thousands of feet of rope was being deployed. Concurrently, the SAR members at Theta Lake stamped out a runway onto Theta lake from the tree line and positioned the subject close to the lakeside in anticipation of both an air rescue or rope rescue. The lightly equipped avi techs at this time boot packed back up the cleared path to assist in evacuation above. Suddenly the weather cleared for the Talon helicopter to come in on a magnificent moving high hover entry and subject was loaded in a rather novel manoeuvre dubbed the “Theta Lake Manoeuvre”. The weather would not clear for five more days. This injured man who is married with three young children, was transferred to an awaiting BCAS Paramedic crew and transported to Lions Gate Hospital ER where he was assessed and admitted several days for treatment of his injuries.
The whole dynamic of this rescue changed at this point. What would have been a potentially long and very dangerous rope rescue raise was now called off. The SAR members at Theta Lake cached their gear except for essential safety gear and ascended to safety with the assistance of brother and sister SAR members to the forward base camp where upon they were transported by snowmobile to the Mt. Seymour Parking Lot and NSR Command.
Subject being prepped for evacuation on day three.
SAR Members at Theta Lake
North Shore Rescue deeply appreciates the unbelievable response and support to this successful rescue by the following organizations and agencies :
• Talon Helicopters
• Ministry of Highways Avalanche Control
• Black Comb Ski Patrol
• Mt. Seymour Resorts
• Squamish Snow Mobile Club
• Provincial Emergency Program
• Lions Bay SAR
• Coquitlam SAR
• Whistler SAR
• Squamish SAR
• Ridge Meadows SAR
• Kent Harrison SAR
• CARDA ( Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association)
• BC Ambulance Service
• BC Parks
• Canadian Coast Guard
• North Vancouver City Operations Yard Garage
• North Shore Emergency Management Office
• RCMP
Posted - by Tim Jones (via John Blown)
