Rescuers analyzing aerial videos for clues in search for missing B.C. climbers

By The Canadian Press on June 9, 2024.

SQUAMISH, B.C. – Rescue teams in Squamish, B.C., say they have not completely halted efforts to find three missing mountaineers last seen on May 31 despite the physical search being temporarily suspended.

In a post on Facebook, Squamish Search and Rescue says searchers “have switched tactics due to the dangerous terrain and current conditions.”

Squamish Search and Rescue says teams have been analyzing video footage obtained through aerial searches via aircraft and drones in the hopes of locating the missing climbers.

The group says the terrain where searches were being conducted is still changing and hazardous due to the temperature rapidly shifting “from cool to hot.”

The post says the search will resume when the weather and terrain allow rescuers “further opportunities” to re-engage.

Teams suspended search efforts on Thursday due to “significant challenges” posed by unstable conditions on Mount Garibaldi, where the three mountaineers were last seen.

Police say the names of the missing are not being released, and the families of the climbers are “requesting privacy during this difficult time.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2024.

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