Hiker who went missing near Cypress ski area found dead

A hiker and social media influencer who went missing Thursday near the Cypress ski area in West Vancouver is dead, North Shore Rescue confirmed Friday.

At 11:15 a.m. Friday, Allan McMordie, a search manager for NSR, said crews had spotted a person believed to be the hiker.

He did not know the condition of the person. NSR sent a long line crew with medical staff.

Late Friday, B.C. Emergency Health Services confirmed the hiker did not survive. The scene was cleared with no patient transported. The rescue organization referred reporters to the B.C. Coroners Service.

In an Instagram post late Thursday, NSR described the hiker as a woman, 21 years old, Asian, and about 5-foot-3 with medium-length dark hair, and wearing a black jacket.

NSR later posted an appeal on Facebook identifying the woman as “Nikki” and asking if anyone has seen her.

Earlier Friday, McMordie said they were not sure if she was on snowshoes or if she had micro spikes attached to boots. He said she is a social media influencer from Toronto, who says she travels the world solo.

The search began Thursday afternoon after the young woman went snowshoeing or hiking on the Howe Sound Crest Trail to St. Marks Summit. She called her boyfriend in Toronto in distress saying she was in a steep gully and lost, but the call dropped at around 3:20 p.m.

The search was called off in the evening after high winds and poor visibility hampered the search effort.

Using night vision technology, Talon Helicopters aided in the search, which began shortly before 3:30 p.m. Thursday. NSR says teams were out all night but did not locate her. The team resumed the search at 7 a.m.

The woman has been identified as a social media influencer, who goes by the name Nikki Donnelly. Her Instagram account describes her as a solo world traveller.

St. Marks Summit has a difficulty rating of “moderate” and the highest point is 1,370 metres.