Alert Ski Patrollers at Cypress Mountain" title="wikipedia: //www.cypressmountain.com/" title="Cypress Mountain Ski Resort" class="simply_extern">Cypress Mountain" target="_blank">//www.cypressmountain.com/" title="Cypress Mountain Ski Resort" class="simply_extern">Cypress Mountain discovered a single snowboard track at 6PM friday Feb 23rd, heading out of bounds into the Austrlian gulley area of Strachan Peak. Quickly following the track, they ascertained that the individual had gone into the steep gulley area and had not returned to the ski hill.

North Shore Rescue was alerted, and called Coquitlam SAR and Lions Bay SAR to assist with what could be a long night. Skiiers and snowboarders who venture into this area in the past have met with serious injuries, and there have been many deaths over the years.

However, searchers were surprised when the snowboarder's tracks, after initially trying to head back to the ski area, led them directly to an emergency shelter in the bottom of the gully area set up in case a subject (or searchers) should ever make it there.

The subject was found in the emergency shelter (a steel culvert with a door welded on the end), and was enthusiastically blowing the emergency whistle when he heard the searchers approaching. This was the first time a subject has made it to the shelter and stayed there to wait for searchers.

The man was walked to a road in the Capliano watershed and taken out by ATV. He was found just in time as a snowstorm dropping temperatures were expected before morning.