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VSAR members preparing the injured hiker before they airlifted them from Cougar Canyon (photo courtesy of VSAR / Facebook)
Helicopter Winch Team Rescue

Local search and rescue team air lift injured person from Cougar Canyon

Oct 10, 2025 | 11:17 AM

A person who suffered an injury while in Cougar Canyon was rescued thanks to the Vernon Search and Rescue (VSAR) helicopter winch team.

VSAR said it received a report of an injured person in the canyon, located near Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park, and immediately dispatched an initial first aid team.

That team found the person, who appeared to have broken their ankle.

“Arriving on scene, [the VSAR team] found our subject stoic and in remarkably good spirits, and after a check-over, they moved onto keeping our subject as comfortable as possible,” the search and rescue group said in a social media post.

The initial crew brought a battery powered wheel stretcher for ground extraction to the scene, but found that it would not be of use in the steep terrain.

A second ground team arrived on the scene and helped cleared some brush from the area, allowing VSAR’s helicopter winch team to be deployed.

“Once the helicopter arrived, members of our winch team were lowered down, our subject transferred into their gear, and our subject was winched back up without incident,” VSAR stated.

VSAR rescuing the hiker in Cougar Canyon (video courtesy of VSAR / Facebook)

The search and rescue group noted that cell phone coverage was limited in the canyon, and that their own radio communications were also “spotty.” They advised people recreating in the backcountry carry a dependable form of communication that can be used in the event of an emergency when out of cell coverage.

Air Rescue One Helicopter Winch Society provided the helicopter and flight crew used in this rescue.

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