THUNDER BAY – Firefighters battled perilous, icy conditions to rescue a pair of hikers who became stranded on the front face of Mount McKay.
Thunder Bay Fire Rescue crews were called to the mountain just after 5:30 p.m. Wednesday after the two men in their early 20s found themselves trapped as they were making their way up a trail that started at the base of Quarry Road.
“They got two thirds of the way up to the first level when they encountered some difficulty. It was too slippery and they became stuck there,” platoon chief Shawn Merrifield said while rescue efforts were ongoing. “They were fearful they would fall down the rest of the way.”
A news release issued by fire officials said one of the men used a cellphone to call 911.
Merrifield said communication between the hikers and emergency dispatchers indicated the pair were not injured when the rescue began, though they were cold.
The fire department had a high angle rescue technician on scene while crews determined whether the rescue would be made from above or below. Merrifield said it was decided the better course of action was to have firefighters make their way up on foot, laying a series of ropes along the route.
“One crew is ascending with ropes and then we’ll just assist them down. We’ll tie off and belay them down to a more level area where they can walk out on their own,” Merrifield said.
The ice storm that began overnight Tuesday and continued throughout the day on Wednesday created hazardous conditions for the rescuers to make their way up – and then back down – Mount McKay.
“From what I’ve been told by the crew on the mountain, there’s lots of loose rock but the snow has covered it and it’s icy. They’ve had to walk not directly up the trail but use the treeline to get up because there’s more grip that way,” Merrifield said.
Both hikers were transferred into the care of paramedics after being brought down from the mountain and have subsequently been released. They were also interviewed by the Anishinabek Police Service.
The rescue took more than three hours.
