Two teens and a dog had to be helicoptered off a Lower Mainland trail Saturday night (Jan. 6) after they lost their path and ended up lost, deep in the snowy woods.

Coquitlam Search and Rescue manager Alan Hurley said the 16-year-olds and dog set off along the 10-kilometre Halvor Lunden Trail loop, near Eagle Mountain, earlier in the day, but lost their way at some point. The loop would normally take about 4.5 hours to complete, according to trail guides, but by evening the teens were five hours into their trek and nowhere near the trail’s exit.

Hurley said not many people use Halvor Lunden Trail in the winter, because it’s tricky to navigate.

“Its a very convoluted trail system. Once the snow falls, you can’t see any of the beaten down trails. If you’re not paying attention and you miss one of the junction signs, it’s very easy to get off trail.”

With the sun already set and the snow making them increasingly cold and wet, the teens dialed 911.

Hurley said his team was called into action by police just after 6 p.m. Pinging the teens’ cell phones, they pinpointed the hikers’ location.

“Where they were was near the top of some fairly steep bluffs.”

Given how late it already was, Hurley said his team decided to call in a helicopter crew rather than find the hikers by foot. North Shore Rescue responded with Talon Helicopters and hoisted the 16-year-olds and dog to safety one-by-one.

Hurley said the teens weren’t injured but were cold and frightened and the dog was matted in snow, soaking wet and exhausted. He said the hikers did the right thing to call 911 when they did, but that they likely should have stopped when they hit the snow-shrouded trail system.

“If you can’t handle the terrain when you get to it, turn around.”

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