Lost Coquitlam hikers rescued from Buntzen Lake Park
2 women went hiking Tuesday, but got lost and were not prepared for night in backcountry
Two young women who got lost in the Buntzen Lake area near Port Moody, B.C. on Tuesday afternoon hiked out to safety this morning after they were located by a search and rescue team.
The cousins, Andrea Motz, 24 and Megan Schulz, 22, spent a cold, wet and unexpected night in the park after getting lost in the deep snow in the mountains while on a day hike on Tuesday afternoon.
They used a cellphone to call for help around 6 p.m. Searchers first tried to reach the pair by helicopter, but were prevented from flying in because of the poor weather.
So instead, volunteers from the Coquitlam Search and Rescue team hiked in and found the pair around 3 a.m. PT Wednesday.
The women were not dressed or equipped for a night outside in the wilderness, and by the time rescuers reached them they were too cold, wet and tired to hike out themselves.
So instead the SAR team set up a camp, and they all spent the night resting so they could hike out in the morning.
When the rescue team and the women reached the parking lot at 11 a.m., the pair were meet by anxious family members.
Despite appearing wet and tired, they still had smiles on their faces as they downed some hot coffee.
Initial reports indicated the lost hikers were older teens, but it was later revealed the pair are cousins in their early 20s.