Public asked to avoid areas of Garibaldi as search resumes for missing mountaineers
Backcountry enthusiasts are being asked to steer clear of certain areas of Garibaldi Provincial Park as search teams take to the air to look for a trio of mountaineers who’ve been missing since May 31.
The search is focusing on the Garibaldi Mountain and Atwell Peak areas based on the climbers’ planned itinerary. To let the search proceed, other hikers and climbers are asked to postpone journeys into those areas.
The three mountaineers were supposed to return on Friday but haven’t been heard from. Inclement weather made searching by air impossible over the weekend, and the search was supposed to resume Wednesday as weather improved.
“We have our highly specialized team members on standby ready to respond. We are working with avalanche technicians who will be assessing the risks as we are facing winter conditions in the area,” BJ Chute, manager of Squamish Search and Rescue, said in a news release.
Searchers are using aircraft and dogs to try and find the missing mountaineers.