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FEBRUARY 10, 1999

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Missing boarders rescued

Pair plucked from Cypress Bowl

Robert Galster News Reporter robert@nsnews.com

TWO snowboarders are lucky to be alive after spending more than 24 hours in the wilderness

surrounding Cypress Bowl.

Rick Widen, 18, of Burnaby and Howard Cassman, 35, of Coquitlam walked away from their overnight adventure late Monday night, tired but without injury.

Although they were reported missing Sunday evening, the wo men were not spotted until helicupter rescue personnel caught sight of them at about 5 p.m. on Monday. They weren't removed from their location on a ridge above Austrafian Guily near Mt. Strachan for another six hours.

The pair’s two companions reported them missing shortly after 10 p.m. on Sunday when they failed to return to their car. Initial search probes were hampered by heavy winds and falling snow throughout the night.

“We had negative results with our probe team and a little later on when the dogs arrived,” said North Shore Rescue team search manager Ron Royston of Monday’s efforts. “While that was gying on we had a crew work- ing up from the other side from the (Cleveland) dam.

High winds and heavy snow fall greatly limited visibility and hampered the search for the missing snowboarders. By mid-atternoon on Monday, some 24 hours since the wo were last seen, Royston said the clouds lifted enough for a helicopter to “have a quick look.”

‘The quick look fed to crews aboard the chopper locating tracks at approx- imately 3,300 feet (1,000 metres) up the mountain. A short time later the missing men were spotted.

“We didn’t have time to initiate a long-line rescue,” said Royston adding, the helicopter attempted to drop food and a hypothermia kit to the two men, “It (the air drop) turned out to be less than successful.”

However, added Royston, the pair followed instructions from the heli- copter's loud speaker to retrace their steps to a safer location. “The crew (approaching, the pair from Cleveland Dam) eventually got to the boys, well men, and the rest is history,” said Royston.

Cypress Bowl, which was closed Monday, reported {4 cm of new snow Sunday night and extremely strong winds gusting to 100 km-h. Monday night saw 15 more centimetres fall on the mountain.

In all approximately 40 searchers from the North Shore, Coquitlam and Lions Bay rescue squads took part in the operation, They were backed by several avalanche dogs from Whistler and the Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association. “The North Shore Rescue Team reminds all skiers and boarders that the most dangerous time to be skiing or riding in the uncon- trolled areas is during and after a snowfall,” said North Shore Rescue squad search manager Allan McMordic. “The ski area boundary marks the area in which skiing and riding is safe. The area outside of the boundary is not patrolled nor is is controlled for avalanches.” Meanwhile a search for the body of Rory Manning, who succumbed to an avalanche on Jan. 27 on the Grouse Grind, has yet to resume duc to high avalanche hazards.

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RICHARD Wyne of the Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association and his dog Ella were among the team brought in to search for two missing snowboarders Monday at Cypress Bowl.

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