Hiker takes bad tumble on North Shore

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NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – His curiosity almost killed him.

A hiker on the North Shore survived with only minor injuries after tumbling 150 feet, landing on the rocks next to the Capilano River.

It happened on Saturday, August 8th. The 24-year-old man from Vancouver was hiking with his girlfriend when he left a trail to peak over the edge of a canyon.

“And his footing slipped on the loose ground,” says Cpl. Richard De Jong with North Vancouver RCMP.

“He slid feet-first, on his stomach, and kind of grappling at anything he could to slow him down. But he just kept sliding and sliding and there was some free fall,” adds the officer.

The rescue was difficult. De Jong says the District of North Vancouver Fire Swift Water Rescue Unit had to strap the man to a body board and float him down the river to get him to safety.

“Miraculously it took him out of there, he didn’t have any (serious) injury to himself, and after being examined by emergency health services he left for home with his girlfriend on the bus,” says De Jong.

The officer says the young man did suffer some scrapes, and probably had a few bruises to show for his fall, “but we’ve seen situations like this that end up a lot worse, in the hospital or, you know, it takes their life.”

De Jong says the lesson for hikers is stay on the trails when hiking in local parks, and respect the back country.

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