Two weeks after being rescued from a steep canyon near Mount Becher, Thierry Vrain is getting back into his garden and feeling grateful to the search-and-rescue volunteers who saved him.
And the 77-year-old hiker has a message to anyone who heads into the wilderness — be prepared and keep your wits about you, as it’s easy to get lost.
What was supposed to be a regular annual hike up a former ski hill at Forbidden Plateau with his wife, Chanchal Cabrera, and a group of friends quickly went sideways for the retired soil biologist from Courtenay.
They had done the 11-kilometre steep and difficult trail for years without problems.
But on his descent, Vrain went off the main trail to avoid a rocky portion. The detour trail soon disappeared and Vrain couldn’t find his way back. He chose to continue going downhill through the thick bush, eventually slipping down a slope and hurting his back to the point he couldn’t walk anymore.
He was disorientated and getting worried.
Vrain’s 75-year-old friend noticed he was missing a few minutes after he asked for her to go in front of him. Vrain was last seen about 12:45 p.m., when the group waited for him to catch up. When they realized he wasn’t there, the group went back up the trail to check for Vrain on side trails and listen for any calls for help.
They asked other hikers passing by if they had seen Vrain, and soon recognized that search and rescue would be needed to look for Vrain.
When the group arrived at the parking lot at 3 p.m. and didn’t see him, they called Comox Valley Search and Rescue.
“We thought he might have just stepped off the trail for a pee or something, but thought he might have also [fallen] and hit his head,” said Cabrera.
Vrain’s arms and legs were bleeding from the scrapes and scratches, he was being bitten by horse flies, mosquitoes and ants and, with little water left, he started to become dehydrated in the sweltering heat. He spent the night out on the mountain as temperatures dropped, shivering in just a T-shirt and shorts.
“I used to wonder how people could get lost on a place like Grouse Mountain or other [well-used] trails, but I know now how easy it can be,” said Vrain. “I lost all track of where I was, and it just took a moment.”
Four hikers in Vrain’s group went back up to check the side trails. By 4 p.m., Comox Valley Search and Rescue was called in. Teams of searchers arrived along with RCMP officers and an RCMP dog. An RCMP helicopter was deployed.
Just before dark, the helicopter crew located Vrain, but could not rescue him. Ground teams were sent in the dark, but could not find the hiker because he had no light and was hard of hearing.
A helicopter pilot spotted Vrain again almost 24 hours after he went missing and was able to guide the ground crew in to assist him. Unable to walk, Vrain was airlifted by North Shore Rescue to hospital in Courtenay for assessment.
“Amazingly, after such an ordeal, he had no broken bones, concussion, nor other life-threatening injuries, but was extremely dehydrated and exhausted,” said Cabrera.
Vrain was released from hospital eight hours later.
Cabrera called the skills, compassion and professionalism of the search-and-rescue team phenomenal. “There is no question that they saved his life,” she said. “We were so impressed that they are all volunteers, all wonderful people in our community who came out to help us, putting themselves out into very difficult terrain — it was so reassuring to know they cared so much and clearly knew exactly what they were doing.”
Cabrera said it’s remarkable how quickly a situation can change, even with an experienced hiker who has plenty of familiarity with the trail and terrain. “We should always be prepared when we go for a hike, even if it is only a short or local one,” she said.
Vrain said he’s “beyond grateful” to Comox Search and Rescue and is planning a fundraising event for the group at the couple’s Innisfree Farm and Botanic Garden in Courtenay, at 3636 Trent Rd., on Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m.
The event will include a presentation by the Comox Valley Search and Rescue team about how to prepare for a hike, in addition to live music, door prizes and light refreshments. A silent auction will also be held during the event and last for a week, with all proceeds matched by Vrain and Cabrera.
The couple hope the fundraising effort will assist in Comox Search and Rescue’s efforts to find a new headquarters in the valley. The group has rented space for its equipment and vehicles for the past 25 years at 3001 Moray Ave., but has been seeking land for a new build. While it recently signed a new three-year lease on the current site, the group still hopes to move eventually, said manager Paul Berry.
“Every other search-and-rescue on Vancouver Island is on public land,” he said. “If not rent-free, it’s very close.”
Berry said Comox Valley Search and Rescue pays about $88,000 a year to lease its headquarters. With annual funding of $84,000 from the provincial government and more than $250,000 in yearly operating costs, including training and equipment replacement, the group has to rely on fundraising.
The Comox Valley Regional District has not been able to come up with any land, but has committed $100,000 a year for the next five years to help construct a new building for the group.
Comox Search and Rescue is involved in 65 to 70 operations a year, said Berry.
For more information about the volunteer-led search and rescue team and its fundraising for a new facility, Roofers for Rescuers, go to cvgsar.com/roofsforrescuers.
More details about the fundraising event at Innisfree Farm can be found through its event page.
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