Searchers locate Richmond couple missing after hike on Mt. Seymour

North Shore Rescue volunteers located the Richmond couple missing since Tuesday night on Mount Seymour in North Vancouver, and are now hiking them to a helicopter pickup and safety.

Searchers spoke to the couple by satellite phone at about 7:40 a.m. PT Wednesday, and located them by helicopter on a trail, said North Shore Rescue.

"They were certainly very happy to be talking to somebody," said Moffatt.

The couple, both in their 50s,  "clearly took a couple of wrong turns" yesterday, he said. "I'm sure it was a cold night out for them."

It took at least three hours after the couple was contacted for rescuers to reach them, because they kept moving, said search manager Peter Haigh of North Shore Rescue.

"We asked the subjects to stay still, and we don't believe they are ... the whole thing should be over," he said at about 11:00 a.m.

Shortly after, one of the three crews on the ground located the pair, and began to hike out with them to an Indian Arm beach for pickup by helicopter.

Overnight search

North Shore Rescue volunteers spent Tuesday night searching for the couple, who went missing during a hike on Mount Seymour in North Vancouver.

The couple is believed to have set out on the hike around 9:30 a.m. PT on Tuesday. The route they were planning to take can be completed in two to five hours, according to Search Manager Mike Danks.

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North Shore Rescue volunteers didn't begin searching until they received a call from North Vancouver RCMP around 10:30 p.m.

"[The hikers] had plans to meet some friends for dinner. The friends indicated that they received a call at 7 o'clock from the couple, saying they were on the mountain ... and it was very garbled and they lost the connection," said Danks, who added that searchers hadn't had any luck reaching the cell phone. 

Danks said search efforts were focused on the east side of Mount Seymour, where lots of area was covered overnight with what he called 'sound sweeps.'

"They have loud hailers and they're using parachute flares," said Danks. 

"We know they're out there, and they're most likely not equipped for being out overnight, so they're going to be pretty chilly in the morning."

Danks said the hikers didn't appear to be especially experienced in the backwoods.

"Unfortunately these guys didn't leave a detailed trip plan with someone, so that was a mistake," he said.

The woman is believed to be wearing an orange jacket and the man is carrying a blue/grey backpack.

Limited resources

Danks said the overnight search was difficult on his volunteers, because they had been working several days to find another missing hiker who was last heard from on Sept. 12. 

"You know what the real challenge for us is, we've been out the last couple days looking for the individual on Cypress Mountain, as well," said Danks. 

"It's taxing on the [North Shore Rescue] membership."