An injured hiker was airlifted to safety from Pincushion Mountain in the Peachland area Friday afternoon.
Penticton and District Search and Rescue (PENSAR) received a call at 3:45 p.m. May 1 from the B.C. Ambulance Service to assist with the injured hiker’s extraction from the mountain.
The female hiker and her partner were about 30 minutes up the path from the mountain trailhead when she slipped and fell, resulting in a severe lower leg injury.
PENSAR used its helicopter long line rescue team after determining the injured hiker was located on steep terrain and assessing the sustained injury and time needed for extrication, according to SAR Manager Dale Jorgensen.
With a helicopter team on the way, Jorgensen dispatched a ground team from Penticton to support the air operations upon arrival. The air crew were able to quickly locate the female hiker and airlift her out to a nearby ambulance unit where she was transported to Kelowna Regional Hospital for treatment.
“Provincial SAR volunteers are asking everyone to be cautious during this time of park closures and social distancing,” said SAR manager Randy Brown.
Brown said provincial SAR teams responded to 19 calls for service last week, down slightly from the same week last year. SAR teams, like all first responders, have implemented pandemic protocols to protect team members and the public.
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