Princeton Search and Rescue responded late Monday afternoon shortly after a report of an injured female hiker in her early 20’s on Johnny’s Hat Mountain near Princeton.
The female hiker was part of a larger group on the Mountain when she was struck by a falling rock.
Oliver Osoyoos SAR members involved in Princeton area rescue Kevin Vetsch and Colleen Aven.
Colleen acted as a Rope Rescue Team Lead and managed a large portion of the operation to assist getting the subject and other members off the mountain in a safe and efficient manner.
By 8 p.m. 19 members of Penticton’s Search and Rescue team along with 2 Oliver Osoyoos SAR members arrived and began to prepare for a difficult rescue operation.
Over the next 8 hours rescue teams hauled personnel and equipment up the mountain over extremely difficult and dangerous terrain in order to set up a series of rope stations in which to lower the victim to the Valley bottom.
CFB Comox 442’s Buffalo Search Aircraft took up station overhead and for over three hours dropped flares down over the mountainside to assist rescuers as they ascended the mountain.
The search flares not only aided the rescuers in providing much needed light, but it was a boost to the teams’ morale.
The victim was transported to Penticton General Hospital where she is recovering.
“This was an extremely difficult area to access and extricate a victim from,” said Penticton SAR president Dale Jorgenson. “We had so many factors to consider with the terrain being so steep, an unstable slope with lots of falling rock and then you add the darkness.”
“Our rope team leaders had their work cut out for them and they performed exceptionally well. Overall I was extremely pleased how everyone handled themselves, from the SAR Teams, BCAS and the support from our Air Force – we got the job done and we wish our best for the young lady to have a speedy recovery.”