Lost, cold, alone, partially blind and with only a tent for shelter, Bryce Lalonde came to the realization on Friday that his hiking trip had taken a dangerous turn.
Luckily he had a cell phone with him to call for help.
The visually impaired B.C. man got lost on the Howe Sound trail near Lions Bay on Friday and had to spend a frigid night alone in his tent before he was rescued by helicopter the following afternoon.
Lalonde was treated for dehydration but was otherwise in good condition after the rescue.
"The challenge for me was water and I did it by myself," The 22-year-old told CTV Vancouver on Saturday.
Lalonde says he lost track of the Howe Sound trail markers and underestimated the weather in the mountains near Lions Bay, which is about a 30-minute drive north of Vancouver.
"Obviously because I'm visually impaired it's hard to find the trail markers, so I have to backtrack a fair bit," he said.
Ed Langford of Lions Bay Search and Rescue says he often sees a spike in rescue calls at this time of year because hikers often underestimate the weather conditions in the mountains.
"It's spring downtown, but in the mountains it's still winter," Langford said.
With files from CTV Vancouver
