Search suspended for missing men on Cypress
North Shore rescuers struggle with more than 33 cm of snow in the previous 24 hours
Heavy snow and fog on Wednesday forced search and rescue workers to suspend the hunt for two lost snowshoers on Cypress Mountain.
On Christmas Day, Roy Tin Hou Lee, 43, and 64-year-old Chun Sek Lam went snowshoeing on Cypress in West Vancouver. Rescue crews were alerted later that day when the pair’s vehicle was found in the parking lot after the ski hill had closed.
With limited visibility, ground crews were sent in again on Wednesday to comb the Strachan meadows area, but there was no sign of the two men.
About 25 search members were out looking for the pair, but with more than 33 cm of snow in the previous 24 hours, the hunt was difficult. A helicopter was used earlier in the day as conditions allowed.
West Vancouver police Const. Jeff Palmer said conditions for the search have been brutal and the poor flying weather and high avalanche hazard had made it difficult to get into some of the areas where people have been trapped in the past.
Palmer urged skiers and snowboarders to resist the temptation to cut underneath the ropes where areas have been closed due to the high risk. On Tuesday, a snowboarder was long-lined to safety after cutting under the ropes on Cypress. He was found off the Howe Sound Crest Trail after spending a frigid night on the mountain.
Palmer said people who go snowshoeing or skiing in the backcountry on Cypress need to be well prepared and have to tell someone where they are going. “Make sure someone is aware of your plan,” he said.
“You can provide searchers with a big advantage if information is left on where you are planning to go.”
“Weather conditions can change rapidly up there,” added Palmer of people getting lost.
He sends out a strong message to anyone thinking about going into a closed area. “If there is a boundary rope there are known hazards in there,” he said. “In some cases the placement of boundary ropes is because fatalities resulted.”
“The boundary ropes need to be understood and given the weather conditions, North Shore rescue may not be able to get to you.”